Getting Ginny Weasley
by Tisha Yoon
Summary: Sequel to Taming Ginny Weasley. Draco's in love with her for the longest time. How exactly do you tell your best friend about it without getting bat-bogeyed? An AU Fic. It's now beta-ed!
1. Delusional and Yours

**Disclaimer:** J.K. Rowling owns the whole Harry Potter world. I just like to put them in other strange situations such as the one you're about to read.

**A/N:** Hello guys, as promised, here's the sequel of Taming Ginny Weasley. For those who haven't read that fic, I suggest you do first before reading this one. You know, to get some of the background. If you don't want, well, I won't force you. Anyway, here are some of the things you need to know before reading this fic:

This is a very out-of-this-world, very AU fanfic. I'm going to give you some background of the happenings here so as not to create confusion. This is all based on MY imagination and I'm just sort of playing around with JKR's characters. In this fic:

1. There's no family feud present between the Malfoys and the Weasleys. They're family friends and are very close.

2. Draco, Harry, Ron and Ginny are all childhood friends.

3. Harry's parents, James and Lily Potter, are very much alive.

4. Voldemort's still after Harry. He attacked the Potters' house, but Lily and James were away on a mission for the Order. They left Harry alone with an Auror. Harry lived, but the poor Auror wasn't so lucky.

5. Lucius didn't give Ginny the diary of Tom Riddle. All the bad things Lucius did to Harry and the Order has happened, but it wasn't Lucius' fault or doing. Lucius is a businessman, father of Draco, and loving, but strict husband to Narcissa Malfoy. Lucius, the Death Eater, is replaced by an OC.

6. Draco is still in Slytherin, but only because of his cunning and intelligence. He and his ancestors are all in Slytherin. Slytherin, in this fic, is not home to future Death Eaters. It just so happens that Voldy was in Slytherin.

7. Harry's family migrated somewhere in Muggle London after Voldemort's attack on Harry. They came back to Godric's Hollow after Harry turned 11. So everything that happened in the first book, that is the things that happened to Harry before he found out he was a wizard, did not happen. However, the part about the Sorcerer's Stone did happen.

8. Ron is unhealthy. That is why it's Ginny, not him, that is Draco's best friend.

9. Harry and Ginny are not an item. Ginny had a crush on Harry during his second year, but their relationship during his sixth year didn't happen. Replace Ginny with Luna.

10. Lucius and Draco don't hate Muggles

There! Now, this fic's dedicated to the following people, because they said that **TGW** really merits a sequel and their words were what made me write this:

**Rowan-greenleaf, snowfire81, .. and Cat or nerva.**

This is also my first time to write in the first person. I'm not sure if this would all be Draco's P.O.V. I think it'll mostly be that way. The reason why I'm writing like this now is because I'm reading a lot of first-person stories right now and I was influenced. Well, I'll stop boring you right now because this A/N's really long. So, enjoy. And I hope to hear from all of you soon!

**Chapter 1 – Delusional and Yours**

**Draco**

"Gryffindor!" yelled the tattered Sorting Hat, sending the last first-year off to her house. The Gryffindor table has erupted with cheers and I can see my best friend clapping along with the rest of her house. You'd think they won the lottery or something. I don't mind, though. If I get to see her smile like that because of the Sorting, then by Merlin give all the first-years to Gryffindor.

I smirk.

A hush falls in the room and Dumbledore stands up, holding his goblet up and tapping it with a golden spoon.

"Good evening students!" Dumbledore begins. "Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As is customary, I will now list the following rules and regulations needed for your complete safety," he smiles as the older students snicker. He then proceeds to tell us the litany of rules that we seventh-years have heard and probably memorized but disregarded in the whole of our stay in Hogwarts. "Now, I would like to personally introduce to you this year's Head Girl and Head Boy," he announces after his yearly speech.

Blaise elbows me and snickers. "Hey, congratulations, Head Boy!"

"Oh stuff it Blaise," I roll my eyes at him.

"Miss Hermione Granger," Hermione stands up, blushing furiously as her housemates clap. I hear my best friend catcalling and yelling "_Yay Hermione!"_ from their raucous table. Very lady-like. "And Mister Draco Malfoy," Dumbledore proceeds, directing his blue-eyed stare at me. I stand up and nod in recognition towards the Headmaster and the other teachers.

Blaise claps and soon the others follow. My other friends from the other tables join in. I hear my best friend yell _"I'm so proud of you White!"_ and my heart swells. To be honest I could have skinned her alive because she dared to call me that horrible nickname in front of the whole student body of Hogwarts but I don't, because for one, I could never skin her alive without me being skinned alive first. And even if I could, I would never do that to her. Especially since her voice sounded so proud of me and it made me proud of myself too.

Besides, right now, I don't care if she called me White several times. I'm Head Boy and my best friend's proud of me.

I won't lie to you. I'm in love with my best friend Ginny. Yes, _Ginny Weasley_, the first ever female to grace the Weasley line for several generations. And I tell you this because you're not her. If you were her, well…

It's not like I can't. I mean I could always blurt it out whenever we have our usual walks around the lake, or whenever she sits at Slytherin's table, swiping my meal right from under my nose just because she likes it. Or when I decide to be man enough and get on with my plan to corner her on some dark hallway and push her up against the wall, tell her I've loved her since the beginning of time and kiss the daylights out of her. Then from there, we can walk out, hand in hand and promise to marry each other after she graduates and have lots and lots of kids with silver-blonde hair and brown eyes…

Yeah right.

I'm delusional.

I'm Draco Malfoy and delusional.

Who am I kidding? I can't tell her. I won't and I _can't_. Because if I did…I don't even want to think of the consequences, let alone think about _how_ I should tell her. That would be painfully embarrassing, not to mention it might finish off our friendship.

I'm scared. I'm Draco Malfoy, delusional _and_ scared.

I sit down and the noise dies down. I hear several of my new housemates whisper and point at me but I don't care. I hear sighs from girls near me and I ignore them. And again I realize that this is going to be another tiring year. Come Valentine's I'll be pretty much busy dodging flying cards and singing house elves.

Call me arrogant all you want but it's really the truth. Girls chase after me and that's a known fact. They even dare to ambush me in class and give me some disgusting love letter. Of course I just smile and say thank you even though I want to crumple them and stomp on them as soon as I receive them. Ginny wouldn't hear of that. Last time I tried to throw a letter in the garbage, she lambasted me for it. My fault for letting her see it, though. So I usually wait 'til I'm in my room to dispose of them. They all have the same message inside anyway. The girls like me, period.

I would never admit it to anybody--well probably to Blaise I would--but I kind of feel envious that these girls have more backbone than I have. I mean, they have enough nerve to tell me how they feel and I can't even do that to Ginny. Believe me when I say I've tried. However, there is always some trivial thing or another that ruins my plans and I never get around even to hinting at her, much less telling her outright.

"So, how does it feel?" Blaise asks me. I look at him. "Head Boy, Hogwarts Heartthrob, Captain of the Quidditch Team, you sure have lots of titles under your hefty belt."

"I don't have hefty belts Blaise," I reply and took a drink from my goblet. "And I don't really care much about those things. Do they really have to keep with that silly poll of theirs?"

The teachers might not know it, although I'm pretty sure Dumbledore does, but aside from the four hourglasses that calculate the house points, there's also another set of hourglasses hidden within Hogwarts. These hourglasses keep track of who the hottest guys and girls in campus are and yes, no arrogance, I am at the top of that countdown since I started school.

I don't really care about it. I mean, so what? Do I get additional house points for it? No, of course not. As I said earlier the teachers don't even know about it. The only thing I get out of it is a flock of girls behind me, giving themselves up like some kind of offering. What do they all think I am anyway? A Greek god who needs virgins for sacrifice? Come on, people.

And besides, that tally doesn't even make Ginny notice me like a true young man, you know, as boyfriend material. So I don't need that stupid title of Hogwarts Heartthrob. Even the name sucks.

"Aww," Blaise shakes his head. "You know others would kill to have even just a place in that poll," he says.

"Do I look like I care?"

"No," he answers.

"And you? Since when do you care about those kind of stupidities?" I ask with a smirk.

"You're right, I don't," Blaise shrugs. Like me, he's on the list. Third actually, next to Harry Potter. And if interests you, Ron Weasley is fifth, Theodore Nott is sixth and Terry Boot is seventh. Why do I know? Through the girls of Hogwarts of course. They think praising me by saying exactly how far ahead I am with the others will impress me. Well, it won't actually. If anything, the poll just irritates me and I hate it, especially when Ginny's at the top of the girls' list. That means more people notice her. And I despise that. She's mine, even though she still doesn't know it.

I look up in search of my pretty redhead who is, as usual, seated in between Hermione and Harry at their dining table. She's laughing at something Harry is saying, looking all fresh and edible with her hair tied like that and her face free of make-up. I almost groan when she bites her lip to stop from giggling. Oh please, kill me now.

Beside me, someone snorts. I turn to look at Blaise and see him smirking at me. I roll my eyes, anticipating the snark that usually comes after it.

"Gee, Drake. I can't believe you still haven't said anything to her," Blaise starts. "I'm almost ashamed to be your friend."

I ignore him. He usually tells me the same things whenever he sees me cast what he calls my _'Pathetic Looks'_ towards Ginny. I'm used to it, but that doesn't mean I don't want to hex him for it, just because.

"At the rate you're moving right now, she'll be married off before you decide to tell her," Blaise says while he twirls his spaghetti noodles with his fork. "I mean, how hard could it be to tell her? You know Ginny, she'll listen to your every problem."

"Not when my problem is her," I grumble. I stab my steak and gave up trying to eat. Blaise has an amazing way of ruining someone's appetite, he should teach about it.

"Oh come on!" Blaise rolls his dark eyes at me. "Look, you've been crushing on her since…forever! And I know you're really afraid that your relationship with her right now might end if you tell her, but you know you cannot get anything if you don't take risks. You're a Slytherin for Merlin's sake!"

"What's my being Slytherin have to do with anything?" Blaise gives me this unbelieving stare, probably daring me to answer my own question. I let it slide. "I don't know, Blaise," I shake my head. "I don't know if this feeling is worth the risk. I mean, what if she doesn't want me to be around just because I make her uncomfortable with my intentions? What if she doesn't want me that way?"

"You're not even sure what she really feels for you, mate," Blaise points out. "I know it's not easy, believe me, I've been there. But I learned that there's no harm in telling the truth. It sounds like a cliché, but you know how they say about how the truth sets you free?" I groan at the overused words. "It's true mate. Believe me," he looks in my eyes then.

I believe him, really. Blaise is a git, but he's a reliable one.

We fall silent for a while. I stare down at my goblet, seeing the reflection of my face staring right back at me.

"Was it really liberating? Telling Pansy how you felt?" I ask him after a while. I look at him and see him shake his head.

"Well, yeah. I mean, we've been childhood friends and all. I hated keeping something that important from her all these years, so when I finally told her, I just felt…free," he answers.

"But you're not together right now," I point out, looking back again at my reflection in the goblet.

"Oh, she'll come around soon," Blaise says confidently. "I know it's been quite a shock for her."

"A shock? It's been a year already Blaise," I answer. "Maybe she just doesn't feel that way for you."

"How will you even know if you don't tell Ginny?" he says, changing the topic.

"Tell me what?"

I jump a mile up from my seat as Ginny plops down beside me, looking curious. I get goosebumps because of her stare.

"I, uh…" I glare at Blaise.

Blaise smirks back and turns to Ginny. "That Draco is…"

"Is!" I intercept Blaise. "Is going to walk you to your tower right now!" I grin at her, wider than necessary, so I tone it down a bit and straighten up. "Well," I gather my wits and stand up, giving Blaise a look before smiling again at Ginny. "Let's go." I drag her by the arm and she says goodbye to Blaise, who grins and gives her a two-fingered salute.

"But aren't you supposed to be walking me to the Prefects' Meeting tonight?" Ginny slants a look at me, her eyes suspicious and alert as they search my face. We're on our way to the doors of the Great Hall.

You know, it's a big irony for me that my best friend can read me perfectly, as if I were a newspaper. She knows when I'm not feeling well, when I don't like someone or something. I don't get why she can't tell that I am hopelessly, irrevocably in love with her. It doesn't make sense, right? So that makes me think that she really knows and that she just chooses to ignore it. I don't know if that's a bad thing or not. I mean, if she knows, why doesn't she just spare me the pain and tell me how she feels about it?

Bill tells me that perhaps it's because she's known me for so long that she just doesn't see me as a possible love interest. Does that even make sense to you? Well it did to me, actually. But that doesn't mean that it made me feel better. How can the thought that my first (and probably last) love just views me as her forever best friend make me feel better?

"Oh yeah," I nod. "Well, let's go then," I tell her and I hold my arm out, waiting for her to hook hers with mine.

But she doesn't. She stands still and looks at me with her chocolate brown eyes that always draw me in, you know…like I just lose track of time and just stare at them, twinkling like that…oh hey, I'm doing it again. Focus, Malfoy.

"What?" I ask her.

"Something's not right with you," Ginny simply says. "You're acting all weird and funny."

"Me?" I give her a questioning look, praying for her to just drop the subject.

"I think I know," she says, in a matter-of-fact tone.

"You do?" I squeak out. "I mean, you do?" I say again in a more controlled tone. Damn it.

She nods. My heart races.

"You're—,"

"Yes!" I quickly answer not even waiting to finish what she was going to say.

"Huh?" she states while she stares at me. "Drake, are you sick?"

"Wha-what?" I ask. "I…no, no…" I answer turning around and walking faster. "Let's go. You're going to be late."

I hear her sigh and walk faster to catch up with me. When she's beside me she says, "You're nervous about this, aren't you?"

What?

I stop walking and turn to face her. "What?"

"Why you're acting weird. You're nervous about being Head Boy," she says. Then she takes my hand and squeezes it. "It's going to be all right, Drake," she tells me. "I'm a Prefect, remember? I'll help you with your duties."

Then she proceeds to drag me by the hand.

I secretly let out a sigh of relief. For a while I thought she had figured everything out. I don't know if it's a good thing that she got it all wrong this time. Nonetheless, I _know_ this isn't the time to tell her anything.

_This year_, I vow to myself. _This year, I will tell her._

**A/N:** This now has a beta! Thanks Hechicera for being one of the nicest betas ever!


	2. Make Draco Frustrated As Hell Day

**Disclaimer: **J.K. Rowling owns the whole Harry Potter world. I just like to put them in other strange situations such as the one you're about to read.

**A/N:** Sorry this took too long. I had this chapter revised several times. I don't know why but it's a hard chapter to write. Hope you'll like it even if it's a little off for me.

* * *

**Chapter 2 - Make Draco Frustrated As Hell Day**

Three weeks have passed since the opening of the school year and during those weeks I have been trying hard to come up with a plan to tell Ginny my feelings.

It was hard, I tell you, to plan something I have failed on doing before. I mean, I _have_ tried telling her about my feelings in the past but every time I do so, something always gets in the way.

Like that time when we had our Yule Ball? It was the perfect opportunity to tell her since I had always envisioned the 'moment of truth' to be in a beautiful place and believe me, the Great Hall was beautiful that night. I planned to ask her to the dance earlier but Neville Longbottom had beaten me to it. I planned to corner her while she got drinks that night too, but before I could stop my sudden stuttering, Colin had asked her to dance. What's up with these Gryffindors? I tried again and again but someone was always asking her to dance with them, chat with them, take pictures with them, breathe with them…I mean, Merlin! Can't people do anything by themselves? Why do they have to drag Ginny along with their stupid arses while they do what they do?

Needless to say, I failed to tell her that night and had gone up to my room, feeling dejected and miserable. Would you believe me when I say I didn't even had the chance to dance with her that night?

There were many times before the Yule Ball that I had tried telling her, and still many times after it. The latest attempt I made was during Bill's wedding this summer.

I was at the Burrow, spending my summer there while my parents had gone off to do some shopping around the world. They were there at the wedding though, as Aunt Molly would have their heads on a plate if they didn't come.

People were running around the Burrow. Aunt Molly was panicking, which she usually does when she's hosting a party; Aunt Lily and Mum were making sure that us boys were not making trouble; Dad and the other adult male members of the Order had wisely concealed themselves somewhere, probably drinking or planning how to bring down Voldemort. The younger females of the party had gone off somewhere, probably doing pre-wedding rituals of powdering their nose and applying color on their faces. I had expected Ginny to be somewhere outside, being pushed by her Mum to do this and that, but she was nowhere to be found.

So I waited until the wedding, and then she comes down the aisle, wearing a white long gown and _flowers_ in her. Don't you think anyone with flowers in their hair is just asking to be said 'I love you' to? She takes her place beside Danielle, Fleur's sister, and _seeks_ my eyes and _then smiles at me_.

I was sitting with Harry, Blaise and Ron on the third row and I was stunned by how beautiful she was. I mean, my Ginny is beautiful, but she was just…I don't have enough words to describe it but right then and there I wished fiercely for her to be mine. I heard from someone that the more you love a person, the more you can't describe the feeling, or the person, in words. I think they're right.

Anyway, she was perfect that day and I just had to tell her. So after the wedding, I told her she was beautiful and then right before I could say my feelings for her, Kingsley Shacklebolt's Patronus came bounding in to the lawn and told us about the Death Eaters that were coming to gate crash.

So, no, my plan didn't happen.

Boo me…

As I've said, it has been three weeks since we got back to Hogwarts and still, I haven't a single clue on how to tell her.

Fate sucks like that, don't you think?

"What are you thinking about?"

I stand up straight and close the book I was reading as Ginny's face came into view.

"Oh!" I say, surprised at her sudden appearance.

I was at the library that afternoon, doing research for my Potions essay. I didn't realize I had been standing, leaning on a bookshelf for sometime now and I was staring at the same page of the Potions book that I was holding.

"What's up with you?" Ginny says to me as she leans on the bookshelf that I have been leaning on to. She looks at me with interest and I can almost hear the wheels on her brain turning, probably thinking about what I was thinking about.

I look at her and smiles shakily. "Oh, nothing," I start to tell her but she was already shaking her head.

"No, no," she says. "Don't try that again. I've had that kind of answer from you before. Why don't you try telling me the truth this time, White?"

I regard her with some thought. Should I tell her? I mean, this isn't exactly the most romantic time to tell her, we're at the library for Merlin's sake. But hey, Bill proposed to Fleur at the Burrow's kitchen so this isn't going to be the most unromantic proposal made, right?

"Uhm, Gin?" I start. My knees were shaking and my heart was pounding. Whoever said that saying I love you to someone is a good, if not the best feeling anyone will ever feel in their entire life, was wrong. Because I am not feeling so good right now. In fact, I feel sick.

"Yes Drake?" she stares up at me with her brown eyes and I begin to get lost in them again.

Mocha, chocolate, wood, soil…her eyes are so brown. I want all my children to have her eyes.

"Oh, there you are!" we both whip around to see Blaise grinning at us like he caught us doing something naughty and I was thankful that Malfoys do not know how to blush.

"Oh, hey Blaise!" Ginny smiles. "What's up?"

Blaise grins at me first before answering. "Dumbledore's calling you."

Oh damn.

* * *

Have you ever felt that nice, weird feeling that fate is working _with_ you?

Because I have.

No, I am.

Dumbledore had called me, Harry, Hermione, Ron and Gin at his office and now here we are, standing around the Headmaster's table and trying to digest every bit of information we had learned. Well, at least Ginny and I were. Harry, Ron and Hermione already knew what Dumbledore had told us beforehand and were now looking at us with hesitation.

"Wait, you mean to tell me that you're going away?" Gin asks the three. "Because of the Horcruxes?"

The three of them look at each other and nods. "Yes," Harry answers Ginny. "We have to leave Gin. We have to find those remaining Horcruxes if we want to stop Voldemort."

"Are you crazy?" I ask them. "You can't let them go just like this Professor!" I turn to Dumbledore.

"It's too dangerous Professor," Gin says, her voice trembling a little. "Tell them they can't leave!"

"Danger is everywhere, dear," Dumbledore tells Ginny and at that simple sentence I understand that we can't do anything about it. Dumbledore was probably the one who told Harry to find the Horcruxes. "This is something that the three of them would have to do and they can't do it if you keep holding them back. It is," he says, walking up to Ginny and placing a hand on her shoulder. "Their destiny."

"But Professor!" Gin argues in a weak voice. She probably understood what I had too and was just trying to do what little she can to change their minds.

"It'll be alright Gin," Ron smiles crookedly at his sister. "Harry and Hermione and me, we have been planning this for some time now and we have everything figured out. We can do this."

Gin stares at him for a while then throws her hands around him, enveloping him with a fierce hug.

We were all quiet as the siblings embraced each other.

After a while, I ask, "Where are you going?"

The three of them look at each other again. "We can't tell you," Harry answers finally. "It's safer that way."

"Does Mum and the others know?" asks Ginny, whose eyes darted from Harry to Ron to Hermione. She has the look of missing child and I immediately take a step towards her and held her hand.

"Yes," says Hermione. "The Order knows we're going away, but we haven't told them where, or when we'll be going."

"And your parents?" I ask Hermione.

"I've…taken care of them," Hermione smiles sadly.

"Hermione…"

She looks up at us and smiles wider. "Don't worry about them, they're safe."

We nod, accepting Hermione's offer. It was the best she would give us, the best we could get and so we didn't press her anymore.

I turn to Harry and ask, "When are you planning to go?"

"Three days from now," he answers.

"You'll disappear just like that?" Ginny asks the three. "You can't expect anyone to buy that and not ask questions. The first years were already asking me why they see a different person guarding the Main Entrance everyday."

Dumbledore smiles at us eerily and chuckles. The five of us turn to each other and I resist the urge to roll my eyes at them. After years of being with the old crackpot, I think I know when Dumbledore has a brilliant plan. A brilliant plan that often means insanely unbelievable and usually it's simply silly.

"That's where the Heads come in, my dear Ginevra," Dumbledore says, as he sits back on his chair and laying his hand on the armrests. "They're in charge of keeping the students happy so they won't worry over such things."

"But Hermione's going…" I trail off and realize what the Headmaster was saying. "Wait, you can't mean…"

"Yes, Draco. I am exactly saying that Miss Weasley would be the new Head Girl," Dumbledore answers and both Ginny and I gape at the Headmaster. See? It's a silly idea, making a Sixth Year the new Head Girl. I mean, was that even allowed?

"But, I'm just in Sixth Year Professor, I can't be…"

"Of course you can!" Dumbledore stands up and rounds the table to stand in front of us. "Isn't it that if I am gone for a certain amount of time, Professor McGonagall takes over my seat? That's because next to me, she is the highest ranking officer of the school."

"But I'm not highest anything, Headmaster," Ginny continues to argue.

"Miss Weasley, you are the most perfect candidate for this and my teachers agree," Dumbledore eyes her. "You have the highest grades amongst all the other Prefects and you're well-respected in the school. Add to the fact that everybody is your friend and that everyone is most certainly afraid of your wand…" Dumbledore smiles at Ginny and she blushes. "Do not worry. I'm sure Mister Malfoy here would agree with my plan. After all, you are best friends, aren't you?"

Now, you might be wondering what my stand in this decision is. All this time they have been talking I was quiet. Why?

Because my thoughts have gone into overdrive and had finally processed that Ginny would be spending the rest of the school year with me in the Heads' personal dormitory.

Did I tell you that Hermione and I share the same Common Room to ourselves for this past two weeks? And that her room was just across mine? Well, now you know.

Of course before this all happened, I hadn't thought of the Heads' Dorm as beneficial. I mean, you know. Sometimes it gets lonely there, with just Hermione and I so we opt to hang out in the other Houses' Common Rooms and where our friends are. The only thing I'm thankful for having my own room was because I have my own bathroom and I can sing in it without being made fun of by Blaise or Theodore.

But now. Now that Ginny would be Head Girl, can you guess what is going on with my mind?

No, you pervert. Not _that_. I'm not thinking about taking advantage of Ginny in our cozy little Common Room, which we will have all to ourselves. I was thinking that, with this situation, I can have the perfect opportunity to tell her how I feel. _Then_, if all everything goes well, maybe we _can_ take advantage of each other in our cozy little Common Room.

I look at Ginny whose eyes were questioning me. I see her hesitancy and I smile. "Don't worry Gin," I tell her. "You're going to be great."

* * *

After meeting with the Headmaster, Hermione and Ginny went to the Head Girl's room and I went with Harry and Ron. Or rather, was _ambushed_ by Ron, with Harry laughing beside us.

"What?" I ask Ron when we settled into an unused classroom. I look over Ron curiously and I see that he was red in the face.

I laugh. I know exactly what was going to happen.

"Draco Malfoy," Ron starts after a deep breath. "Draco Malfoy, I trust you." He continues. Ron looks at my eyes squarely. "I agreed to this plan because I know Ginny deserves to be Head Girl and if Harry, Hermione and I can't beat Voldemort, this might be the last school year for everyone. Especially for us…" he trails off.

The humor fled me and I look at both of them. Harry had stopped laughing too, and was now sitting on one of the seats, playing with his hands.

"What do you mean?" I ask them, knowing exactly what they meant. But I had to know, had to confirm it with them. Harry looks up at me and smiles sadly.

"This is it Drake," Harry answers. "Remember the Prophecy? When we battled with the Death Eaters at the Department of Mysteries?"

"Yes?"

"It said that only one of us would be able to live," Harry says. "And the three of us, Hermione, Ron and I all agreed that this has to stop sooner. It's a terribly dangerous thing to do and if all goes awry, well…" Harry trails off and we all fell silent.

Random thoughts came into mind and I think of my parents who were probably at the Order's Headquarters, planning how to fight Voldemort and his army. I think of Harry's, Ron's and Hermione's parents and I wonder how they were doing. I think of Luna and I immediately feel sorry for both Harry and her. I think of my friends and how this could be our last year together. And I think of Ginny. And I realize that this could probably be my last chance to tell her.

"Is that why Dumbledore gave her the position? Because it can be our last year in school?" I ask, although I didn't know if my words made any sense.

It must have because Harry nods. "Dumbledore said he was going to elect Ginny for the position next year, when her Seventh Year came. Hermione said that he should give it to her now, since we weren't sure what'll happen and if we would have a new batch of Seventh Years next year," he smiles sadly again.

"Of course Dumbledore refused to acknowledge the fact that we can fail but nonetheless he agreed to give Ginny the position. After all, she is the best candidate for it," Ron answers. "Which leads me to say, that I trust you Malfoy, that you won't take advantage of my sister now that you two would have your own Dorms to yourselves."

I stare at Ron. "Of course I won't…"

"I'm not finished," Ron held up one hand. "Draco, I know you love my sister. I know you would do anything for her. So please, before everything's too late, tell her what you feel."

I was taken aback. This wasn't what I was expecting. No, not even from Ron. Especially not from Ron.

"Ron…"

"She has to know Drake," Harry nods at me. "Listen, this is your opportunity. You'll have plenty of time and personal space to tell her. We're off to try and put a stop on Voldemort but we're not promising anything Drake. We can fail. We _might_ fail. So consider this your last chance."

I look at both of them and realize that they probably were right.

I smile. "You're off to battle but you're more concerned with Ginny and me?"

Ron and Harry look at each other and grin at me.

"Of course mate!" Ron steps forward and slings his are over my shoulders. "Because if we get back and you haven't told her yet, we _would_ do it for you."

I smirk. "Don't you mean, _when_ you get back?"

They look at each other again.

"Come on you two," I tell them. "You're going to make it. Don't think otherwise. Remember, Voldemort feeds on your fears. Don't let him get you."

Harry nods. "Don't worry about us," he tells me. "We'll do the best we can. Although, I have a favor to ask you."

I cock my head on one side and ask, "What is it?"

"It's about Luna…" Harry says, looking at me with his sad expression.

"Luna, does she know?" I ask.

"Yes, I told her yesterday and she's taking it pretty well. I think she knows that I have to do this," Harry says. "But I'm worried about her. Remus and Sirius said Voldemort might attack the school and…"

The unsaid words give a chill down my spine and I shiver. If Voldemort decides to attack Hogwarts, that would be a horrific time. And I can guarantee that their would be bloodshed. Already, Dumbledore's being forced by the Ministry to step down from being the Headmaster. Fudge is utterly Imperiused and I think half of the Ministry is too. If they succeed, Hogwarts would probably lose to Voldemort. They've been brainwashing some of the more important Members of the Board of Education and it'll be a matter of time before Dumbledore is forced to step down. It'll leave Hogwarts vulnerable to attacks and Voldemort would seize it easily.

"Don't worry, Harry," I tell him. "I'll take good care of her," I turn to Ron. "And Ginny, of course."

They smile at me and I can't help but be worried for them. I know Harry has the power to defeat Voldemort, he just has to believe in himself that he can. Though I know it isn't an easy task, I also know that he'll succeed. I have faith in him. We all do.

* * *

"I'm scared."

I look up and see Ginny staring at me, chin cradled on her hands, elbows on the pillow on her lap. She was looking at me with her worried eyes and her mouth pouting.

Yeah, she makes worrying look cute, would you believe that?

"About Harry and Ron and Hermione," I tell her. I don't even try to ask what. "And about being the Head Girl."

She nods and worries her lips. I take note that they were unusually red. She must have been biting on them since we arrived at my room. She said she wanted to go somewhere quiet and where she can think, so I brought her to my room.

"Biting your lips won't help Red, stop it," I tell her and she glares at me. Well I had to, I was getting too distracted by what she was doing.

I stare at her for a few moments, before reaching out and taking her in my arms for a hug. I feel her tremble and soon I hear the sound of her sobs.

There are many things you should know about Ginny and one is that she never cries in front of other people. Except me.

I knew she was going to cry, I can feel it since we heard about the Trio's plan. But Ron had whisked me away before we can talk.

We are at my room, me and Ginny. She came down the dungeons right after dinner and she had been sitting on the floor, doing her assignment. Or at least trying to.

That was before she was crying.

I continue to whisper things to her, assuring her that everything would be alright and she continues to cry.

In the sixteen years that I've known Ginny Weasley, I have come to know three things that makes her feel better after a good cry: ice cream, a blanket and fireworks.

Don't ask me why. It's just always been that way since we were little. Whenever she starts crying, one of us would give her ice cream or a blanket or a fireworks display.

Then after the Tom Riddle incident, I found her crying inside her room at our Manor, where she had been staying for safety. I remember being very afraid for her as she was crying rather hard for several days. I made my Mum buy lots of ice cream, got the fluffiest blanket in our house and asked the Twins for a few firecrackers, the ones that makes a small fireworks display. After getting everything, I went to her room and there we pigged out for the whole of the night, eating nothing but ice cream, wrapped in the blanket as we tossed the small tablets in the air, and laughed as it exploded into small webs of different colors.

After that, those three were known as the Ginny's Pick-me-uppers. The three should always be together or you can't make Ginny feel better.

Anyway, she was crying and crying and I made to get her Pick-me-uppers but she just tightens her hold around me.

"Gin?" I tell her. "I'll just go get…"

"No," she sniffles. "I'm okay. Just stay here…please?"

I'm surprised. And suddenly glad.

So I hug her tightly against me, keeping quiet and threading my hand in her red hair.

I love her hair. Did you know that Ginny's the only redheaded girl in Hogwarts? That makes her easier to spot. And hers is reddish-orange, you know, like fire, while Ron and her brothers have reddish-brown.

Suddenly, she stares at me, and just like earlier, I get lost in the brown orbs that is her eyes…wait, did I just say 'orbs'? Anyway, just like any other time that I was lost in her _orbs_, I wonder and think that maybe this was a perfect timing. After all, this is a romantic setting. Me and Ginny inside my room, beside the fire, hugging each other.

It was perfect…

Except Blaise is now barging in my room, looking pissed as hell and ruining the moment.

Remember how I said Blaise is an expert at ruining one's appetite? Well, forget that. He's the master at ruining _everything_. He should make a book out of it. 'How to Ruin Everything, by Blaise _Effing_ Zabini'.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he has the grace to say as he plopped on an arm chair and sulked as if I've given him permission to sulk inside my room. "Am I disrupting something?"

Ginny sniffles. "No."

Blaise then realizes that Ginny was crying. "Hey, Gin. What's wrong?"

Gin smiles at him and says, "No, don't worry about me Blaise. What's gotten your knickers in a twist?"

Blaise pouts. _Hello! I'm trying to have a moment here!_ I scream at him mentally when I realized that he was there to stay.

But before he can say anything, a knock on my door was heard and it opened. Millicent Bulstrode, Blaise's current stepsister, sticks her head inside and calls out Blaise's name. Great, is it "Make Draco Frustrated As Hell Day' again?

"What?" Blaise answers.

"Oh, you're here. I knew it," Millie smiles. "Hi Drake, Gin."

"Hey Millie," says Gin. I nod at her.

"You okay?" she addresses Blaise.

Blaise nods.

_Good, go then._ I wanted to say.

"Look, I'm sure Pansy doesn't mean anything she said."

Ah, Pansy.

As I'm sure you already know, Blaise is in love with Pansy. They were childhood friends, growing up nearby each other since Blaise and his mother moved to England from Italy when he was six. He had already told Pansy how he felt. It was during the annual Christmas Party at Slytherin dungeon last year. It was a disaster.

I can't say I envy Blaise for having a backbone hard enough to tell her, because he had told Pansy everything during a very bad time. I won't go into that just yet. But I have to tell you, things have never been the same between them after that.

That's one of the reasons why I'm afraid of telling Ginny.

"What happened?" Gin asks, sitting on the bed and staring at Blaise.

Blaise shook his head.

It was Millie who answered. "Pansy told Blaise that she doesn't want to see him again."

"But she always tell him that before," I say. Blaise glares at me and I shrug. Well it's true.

"Well, Pansy made sure he listened this time," Millie tells us, coming over to sit beside Ginny. "You heard about her and Greg?"

We nod and Blaise glares at his sister. Greg and Pansy had been going out since the start of the semester.

"Blaise had walked in on them in the Common Room, kissing and…" Millie looks at Blaise, not sure if she should continue or not.

"What happened Blaise?" Ginny asks.

"I wrenched Pansy away from Greg and started shouting," Blaise tells us in a clipped tone.

I nod. "And she got angry?"

"Of course."

"Then?"

"Then she turned and started kissing Goyle again. In front of me."

We stare at him, unbelieving.

Pansy might be a bitch sometimes, but she's really nice. She's like Gin in some ways, feisty but with a good heart.

"Well, if she wants me gone, then I'm gone," Blaise bitterly spat. "Fuck her to hell. I'm through with this."

He stands up and climbs on my bed. Millie puts and arm around him and Gin gets up and went to his other side to lay her head on his shoulder. She eyes me, her eyes getting all teary again. I can feel that she was telling herself not to cry, so I stand up and sat beside her and twined her fingers with mine.

Oh crap.

* * *

**A/N:**Thanks for reading guys. I'm off to write for my other fic. Hope you find it tolerable. Haha, GOD Bless!


	3. Secretly Married

**Disclaimer:** J.K. Rowling owns the whole Harry Potter world. I just like to put them in other strange situations such as the one you're about to read.

**A/N:** Sorry for the late update guys. I had so many things to do these past weeks and I couldn't squeeze this in long enough to finish it earlier. But I strived to update this week because it's rowan's birthday and I wanted to give her a present.

This one's dedicated to **Rowan** who said that studying isn't as important as updating. Happy birthday! Hope to see more Draco and Ginny fics from you! GOD Bless!

* * *

**Chapter 3 – Secretly Married**

**Ginny**

I hate Voldemort with passion.

I know that it's probably the understatement of the year but I really do. I mean, what's so great about him besides having no nose and still being able to breathe? I admit that's a little unique on his part but I wouldn't dream of having slits for noses, thank you very much. And then there's this issue about his name that's been my pet peeve since first year. People are so afraid to say his name, elongating their sentences with "You-Know-Who" and the even longer "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named". Duh? What's the point? It's quite a mouthful isn't it? You get out of breath just by saying that long phrase before you finish your sentences. I go crazy whenever people speak of him that way. My brothers and parents on the other hand go crazy whenever they hear me say his name.

The name's Voldemort, and that's that!

Maybe people should just call him Tom? It's a pretty nice name, don't you think? Tom Marvolo Riddle. It's sounds powerful to me. But I don't think he'll be happy with me advertising that fact about him to other people. I don't want the prophesied war to come earlier just because of it. It would have been great though, to have others not fear his name like that.

I don't know why people are so scared to say his name. I think 'Voldemort' is funny. It rhymes with snort, for Merlin's sake. Who, in their right mind, would give themselves a title like that? It's as bad as Hogwarts and he expects people to fear him?

Oh, yeah. I forgot, Voldemort is never in his right mind. I've been in there because of the Diary, that ugly Yaxley dropped in to my cauldron, the day my Mum and I were shopping for school books during my first year. And let me tell you this: Tom Riddle isn't exactly de-nosed in his early years. He's kind of cute actually. But that was before he'd gone crazy, got de-nosed and called himself Voldemort.

So anyway, I hate him. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be worrying over my love ones.

Ron, Harry and Hermione left last night, on the pretense of attending and representing Hogwarts in an inter-school dueling tournament. Can anyone have picked a lamer excuse? Nobody really believed that, except the first years. But nobody wanted to say anything about it.

Except me. And I do so only in the presence of Draco.

"Oh give the old man a break Gin," he says as I take my own break from ranting.

He gives me this placating look that would have tamed other women breathless but I just roll my eyes at him. "What was he supposed to say? That they're trying to get themselves killed to kill Voldemort?"

See how easy it is to say his name? That's how people should do it. Conserves time, breath and saliva. Draco shares my views on the subject. I don't have to tell you how our mothers feel about it.

"Well, why not?" I ask stubbornly even if what he said was true. "Everyone could use a little honesty in this school."

"Gin, don't be so difficult," he sighs and turns back to the book he was reading. We were alone in our Common Room.

"Well, I'm sorry to whine, _Malfoy_. My brother had just went off to a dangerous camping trip you know!" I yell and stand up to leave the room. My eyes were already tearing up and insensitive Draco doesn't need to see that.

I hear him sigh again and close the book.

"I know Gin. But it's their..." I knew he was struggling to find the words to substitute for 'Destiny' and 'Fate' which were getting older by the minute. "Job to do. And we have our own here. You're not exactly helping Harry and the others by ranting like that."

I turn to pout at him and his eyes bore into mine, asking for me understand. Contrary to what you might hear from other people, I'm not really the boss of this friendship. My brother Bill always makes fun of how Draco is easy to bend. "Throw him a Ginny-look and watch him go," was what he always says. But let me tell you, the 'Draco-look' has the same effect on me as my look is on him. It's just that he seldom uses it for some unknown reason. He seems perfectly content on bending on my wishes, even if he usually doesn't like what I ask of him. But whenever he _does_ use his look on me, I find myself obeying. I'm glad he uses that weapon on me only on times when I am being a danger to myself, or Merlin help me, I might find myself polishing his shoes.

Draco makes me crazy sometimes. No, not crazy as in 'crazy-for-his-smile' kind of thing, if you know what I mean. He's my best friend for Merlin's sake! No, I meant the 'bang-you-head-on-the-wall-'till-it-bleeds' kind of crazy. Because he knows me too much and I can't help but know that he knows exactly how I feel about things. Like now, he knows that while I'm really worried for my brother and our friends, I was also more bummed out that I was left behind. Hence the need to shoot me that oh-so-powerful look of him. I'm ranting more on about being left behind, than being Ron's sister, and Draco can see right through me.

If we married each other, I would probably lock myself up in St. Mungo's for all eternity since I won't be able to hide a thing from him. Who doesn't like secrets and surprises? I do. I heard it's a vital element in a marriage, to keep the spice and all that. He's got such a perfect reading on me, how would I get my spice? So that makes it...Wait, did I just say _marry him_?

Ewww...

I couldn't have just thought of that! That's like incest.

It's like marrying Ron; it's disgusting. I shudder. Anyway, he knows me too much.

That's that!

He stands up and walks over me; it suddenly makes me feel nervous. Maybe he read what I was thinking. What would I do if he did? Admit it? But admit what exactly?

I have to crane my neck to get a look at this disgustingly tall guy in front of me, whom I suddenly saw as a possible husband and I get more nervous.  
Would you marry someone who's seen you buck-naked when you were just a rolly-polly baby? A guy who's played mud with you and encouraged you to eat it? That's disgusting. Husbands aren't supposed to know you since you were born. They're supposed to meet you inside a cafeteria, or at the office, or some place when you're a _nicely dressed young lady_. Not in diapers!

So why was I even thinking about it?

"Come on Gin," he says, smiling at me...in his _friendly_ manner. "Let's get you outside for a broom ride. Maybe the air would help you clear your mind."

I manage to roll my eyes at him. There's no maybe in that. He _knows_ it'll definitely clear my mind.

I sure hope so. There's no use on dwelling with that 'marriage with Draco' thing right now. No, scratch that. There's no use dwelling on it _forever_. Because I simply refuse to think about it ever again.

* * *

The wind was cold tonight but I am feeling extremely hot.

I mean, because of flying and chasing Draco.

We developed a game of what we call broom tag during our younger years. It's much like that Muggle game tag, but broom tag is all about touching the broom, not the person. Draco does it to hone his Seeker skills. I do it to show off. We also do it for fun, but then again, nothing is more fun than being able to touch the broom of one of the fastest fliers in the school. And I don't intend to make him forget whenever I did.

Right now, the only reason I was doing it was because the marriage thoughts were escalating into a full-blown family life. Would you believe that I actually dared to daydream about redheaded babies with silver-grey eyes? And as I tried to chase after Draco, I was busy designing _our house_ in my mind! Next thing I know, I'd have a list of possible names for our babies.

Am I sick? Because my thoughts are sick. Really.

It's hard to concentrate now and even Draco was getting tired so we fly over the bleachers and landed there. He slumps over one of the seats and laughs. "Pathetic, Red. You haven't even touched my broom once."

I frown at him, my thoughts taking a backseat as he teased. "I've got a lot on my mind," I snap.

"Aw, Gin," he says, frustration evident in his voice. "I thought we're here to erase Ron and the others from your mind?"

_Except I'm worrying about another thing now, you moron!_

I fold my hands in front of my chest and stuck out my lip like a child about to have tantrums.

"What can I do Gin?" he asks, scooting over to sit near me. I resist the urge to come closer as I would have done during a day without the Mrs. Ginny Malfoy thoughts. Hey that sounds ni...nasty!

I dare to look at him and manages to do so without flinching or blushing. "Nothing Drake," I smile at him. "You're right, I'm just bummed that I get to be left behind again, that's all."

A flash of something went through his mercury eyes but it was gone before I realize what it was. Probably annoyance that I'm bringing this up again. Draco doesn't like me talking about joining the Order actively as he and the others have done last year when the Death Eaters tried to take Hogwarts. Would you believe that he actually kept me inside a broom closet half the time and when I got out, I found Crabbe and Goyle guarding by the door? You'd think Draco would cut me some slack and let me be. I mean I can get the protectiveness from my brothers anytime I want, does he have to join my personal pack of bodyguards too?

Then again, when you think about it, I'm sure he just means well. And unlike my brothers, he's never tried to dismember a boy who expressed a liking towards me.

"Why don't you think of it this way, Red," his voice floats towards me with the wind. "They're like those soldiers we read about in Aunt Lily's history books, the ones who get to do all the fighting and we're like the other soldiers who get to stay at camp and defend the city," and then he laughs and adds. "That's a very feeble attempt on my part, don't you think?"

I roll my eyes even though he couldn't see through the dark. "Thank you for acknowledging that, White."

We stay silent for a while, consumed by our private thoughts. He's probably thinking like nothing I am. No frilly white dresses, no exchange of personally written vows, no babies, no old age and sitting by the fire together. And I'm pretty certain that he's not trying to contradict himself whenever those thoughts present themselves in his brain.

Poor Ginny Weasley, married secretly to her best friend and he doesn't even know it.

I honestly do not know why these thoughts started parading around my head, and why they're still here. One moment I'm thinking of Voldemort and the next I'm marrying Draco. _My best friend_. The one I got to see poo, cry, laugh and scream whenever it's bath time.

I should stop. I would stop. Before these thoughts get more disturbing like kissing him...oh, there it is. Too late. Damn!

I wanted to bury my head on my hands but I know I couldn't. If I did, Draco would be alarmed that something is wrong. He's not much of an asker. If he thinks something is bothering me, he seldom asks and just puts his arms around me..._don't fantasize that Ginny!_...and holds me until I'm alright. I certainly do not want that to happen. I do not need one more reason to think these horrible thoughts, and him touching me in the slightest way was sure to bring in a flood of unwanted fantasy.

I really have to stop this.

"There's got to be someway to make you distracted, Gin," Draco says at last. I keep my eyes focused on the field before us and didn't answer. I was busy distracting myself already. "Do you want to raid Uncle Sev's Potion's cupboard and mix up the labels?" he offers.

We once did that. During fourth year, the year after Cedric died and the year the Magical World called Harry a lunatic by saying that Voldemort was back. I was so scared and sure that he'll come for me because he didn't finish me off when I was in my first year. I became paranoid, so Draco decided to help me get distracted. We raided Uncle Sev's classroom and decorated it with flowers, then we mixed up the labels of his potions in his personal storeroom. It was fun and very distracting at that time. Especially when Uncle Sev saw the flowers first thing in the morning. It was during my class and I think we were caught because I was laughing too much and Uncle Sev already suspected me.

Anyway, I doubt anything, even painting the Potions classroom pink and purple, can distract me right now.

"Come on Gin," he speaks again, a hint of pleading in his voice. "A little help here?"

I finally look at him. He was smiling my favorite smile at me.

"I'm graduating and I do not want to have a roommate who's sulky. I've had too much of that with Blaise as my roommate before." I have to smile at that. Blaise, handsome as he is, tends to sulk. I think, he thinks that it makes him look cuter to other people. You know, a handsome guy like Blaise Zabini pining for a girl is really sweet. Especially since he really_ was_ pining for Pansy then. But Draco and I both want to kick his gut whenever he sulks. He usually gives people no choice but to join him. To give him credit though, he's really a jolly person when he's not pining after Pansy.

I'll sorely miss him though, when he and Draco gets out of Hogwarts next year.

Wait...

That's it!

The reason why I'm insane with insane thoughts!

My mind must have been nursing that thought of Draco graduating and being away and growing up subconciously, that's why I've been thinking of _any_ possible reason to stay with him. My mind isn't accustomed to a no-Draco place, so it creates for me a dream to settle my jilted nerves and assure me that he'll always be with me in my future. That makes total sense!

"What's it?" he asks. I blink several times. What?

Oh, I said 'That's it' aloud didn't I?

"Uh...Blaise?" I start out. "Blaise would be the perfect solution!" I get that out more enthusiastically.

"What about Blaise?" he asks and I see his grey eyes tighten.

"Blaise," I slowly say, a plan already formulating inside my head. "Is depressed right? And he needs to have someone to entertain him."

"And you would?" his voice gets tighter too. I stop myself from rolling my eyes at his tone. He may not interfere with my love life but that does not mean he likes what I do about it.

"Technically, yes," I answer.

"Gin, the boy's on the rebound. It's not the best idea to go and date him," he tells me hurriedly.

"I'm not going to date him. Just set him up with a few girls, play matchmaker," I shrug.

Draco suddenly laughs. Why does he suddenly sound so melodic and hot? I've heard him laugh a million times and I haven't heard it like this before. I swear he had charmed it to sound like wind chimes tinkling as the wind blew gently through it.

Merlin! I'm beginning to be a poet too?

"Why are you laughing?" I ask, frowning up at him. He'll have to stop and…Oh. Dear. Merlin.

He had turned to look at the field in front of us so the moon was now able to light one side of his face. His eyes were crinkly with humor, his hair glinted as the silver light coming from the moon was mirror on his hair. Suddenly everything about him seems highlighted and beautiful. He looked like an entirely different person and odd enough, he was still Draco.

"I'm laughing because Blaise would never agree to that," he turns towards me and I expected the beautiful image he depicted earlier to vanish like the moon disappearing behind him now but it did not. He remained beautiful in front of my eyes. The moonlight behind his head was like a halo of an angel.

When you start getting all poet-y and mushy about describing someone like that, you'll know that it's bad.

I stay silent, not knowing what to say. I can't trust myself that the next thing I'm about to say is not "You're beautiful." That would suck big time. Because he is. He suddenly just became irresistible in front of me. It's like he charmed himself to look like Cupid, my favorite Greek god.

But I am no Psyche. That I am fully aware of.

* * *

Somehow we manage to get back to our rooms. I didn't say anything after his last statement and he took it as a sign that I was seriously thinking about matchmaking Blaise and some of the girls I know. So he decided it was time for us to go back to the Head Rooms. I had quickly nodded and was now lying down on my bed and staring at the ceiling.

Honestly? I'm not thinking about Blaise at all. I'm thinking of this weird thing I'm feeling right now.

No, it's not about the silly Mrs. Ginny Malfoy thing anymore. Rather, this thought hit me and left me hazy and more confused.

This isn't the first time that I had imagined myself being 'married' to a guy I liked. There's Harry, who I imagined to have little Henri and Henriette with; and then there's Terry Boot and our house by a lake; Oliver Wood, Viktor Krum, River Atkins, Colin Creevey…you might as well say that I've been 'married' for several times now and is a mother of so many 'kids'. And these thoughts originated from the fact that I liked these guys. Which have me thinking: Do I like Draco now too? Is that why I was thinking about him that way?

I shiver on my bed and held the blankets tighter around me. It's not a shiver of disgust as I wanted it to be. It's a shiver of something else; something I couldn't give a name to.

I repeat my mantra over and over: _he's my best friend, he's my best friend_…but I don't think it's working right now.

Sitting up, I cradle my head with one hand and sighed. Why am I thinking this way? Why am I entertaining these thoughts? I've dated many boys before, but I must admit that I often did so to piss my brothers. I liked them, really. But sometimes, I look at them and get this sure feeling of not wanting to make something work out with them.

Is this the same with Draco?

If it is, then this is just a passing thing. That's good. I'm friends with all the other guys I liked and dated. Maybe we can even joke about it. Draco never really cared about who had a crush on him. And he doesn't have to worry over me sending him love letters like what the other girls do, because I have never, ever composed a love letter before in my entire life and I have no pressing desire to start learning now.

So, yeah. If this is just like what I feel for the other boys I liked before, then I'm okay with it. Usually, after two weeks I move on. So that means after two weeks, everything would go back to normal.

But what if this wasn't like the others? Nah. What's the difference? I doubt this is something else rather than a silly fancy on my best friend. I've seen some movies about it whenever we hang out at Hermione's. It's perfectly natural to have a crush on a long time friend. I've read it in books, and I'm pretty sure I wasn't the only one thinking about this issue.

However, in those movies, sometimes the best friends end up falling for each other. In the books, they do too. In addition, isn't my brother a shining example of getting together with a friend? Last time I checked, Ron and Hermione are still together. That means there's a chance that if this was more than a crush, Draco and I could work out right?

I remember Blaise and Pansy and the thoughts of Ron and Hermione vanished. There are of course those that don't survive. Pansy hated Blaise for his announcement because before he had said that, something had happened to them. Pansy felt he was just after the lay and no matter how Blaise convinced her that he wasn't, she would not listen. She once told me that she was scared to believe that it could lead to something more. Pansy said so many harsh things to Blaise but he never once got angry because of it. I've seen him cry over her a dozen times and it hurt to watch him pretend like everything's alright.

The image of Blaise crying inside the prefect's bathroom a year ago had brought a wave of fear and panic on my part. If what I felt for Draco, if I was really feeling anything for him at all, is the same as what Blaise felt for Pansy, then I am really in big trouble. What if Draco acts like Pansy and rejects me? What if our friendship was shattered just like theirs? I can't imagine myself without Draco. What would I do if that happens?

I threw myself on the bed and groaned.

"You don't like him, Ginny," I say to myself. "You don't like him like that so stop worrying."

But somehow, I know there's something going on inside me.

I'm not so sure I want to find out.

* * *

The next day I find myself standing inside the Slytherin Common Room, waiting for Blaise to get up. I was alone, as it was only seven in the morning. Draco was still sleeping. I left him a note to go ahead to breakfast and I'll see him there, but I doubt he'll heed it. As I said, he was very perceiving when it comes to me. And based on what we last talked about last night, he would know where to find me.

I hesitate in front of the door of Blaise's dorm and then knocked. No one answered me so I pushed the door open. There I found three beds, which were just like mine in Gryffindor Tower. One bed had Theo Nott on it, the other was someone I recognized as Felix Banks, and the last was Blaise.

I stalk over to his bed and shake him awake.

"Bloody hell…" he murmurs and takes a pillow to cover his head with.

"Blaise!" I urgently whisper. "Blaise, get your sorry arse out of the bed right now!"

"Mmn…five minutes…" comes the answer.

"Damn it. I don't have five minutes Blaise!" I resort to hissing. "Get up right now."

A soft snore answers me and I groan. _Great_.

What am I doing here anyway? Honestly? I don't know anymore. It seemed like a good idea last night to get close to Blaise and maybe confide in him. I mean, if there's one person who could probably sympathize with me, that's got to Blaise right? He would know what's going on with me. In return, I'll help him with any girl he chooses. I can be pretty persuasive and usually, girls come to me for advises and opinions since I've dated most of the boys in Hogwarts, so I can really help Blaise get over Pansy. But right now, I'm having second thoughts about the idea.

"That's not the way to wake him," a voice says and it had me jumping in surprise.

I turn around to see Theodore sitting up and eyeing me sleepily with a lopsided grin. His hair was sticking up in all directions but he still manages to look cute. Are all Slytherin boys like this?

"Oh, sorry. Did I wake you?" I ask, flashing him a sheepish smile.

He waves a hand at me and gets out of his bed. He opens his bedside drawer and takes out his wand. "Don't worry about it, Ginny," he says with another smile. "Move over. I'll show you how to properly wake this rake up."

I move over to sit on Theo's bed and my mouth fell when he pointed his wand to Blaise's sleeping form and called, _"Aguamenti."_

"_What the—!_" Blaise shouts as a jet of water hit him straight on the face. He struggles up, fighting off the water as I double up with laughter when I saw his look.

Beside Theo's bed, Felix sits up groggily and murmurs. "Where's the fire?"

"_Bloody hell_, Theo!" Blaise shouts angrily. "What in the world did you think you were doing?"

Theo stopped the spell and sneers at him. "Gin was having trouble waking you up. So I helped."

"You helped? You bloody bastard, I'm soaked!" he shouts and jumps out of his bed and strips off his shirt. He throws it at Theo who effortlessly dodge it.

I eye Blaise's body for a while, bother that, hot as it was, it wasn't doing anything grand to me.

"Damn Blaise, will you keep it down?" Felix throws his body on the bed again and pulls the covers up to his head.

"You try being _Aguamenti-ed_ while being asleep and see if you can keep it down," Blaise snarls at the blonde-haired boy. Then he turns to me and I smile brightly at him. "Don't smile at me brat. What do you want anyway?" he says, sleep gone from his voice and replaced by irritation.

I stand up and walked over to where Theo was. "Thanks Theo. I owe you one," I tell him and he smiles.

"Oh, don't mention it. It's rewarding enough to see Blaise like that," he laughs.

"Fuck off," Blaise mutters.

"What's happening here?"

We all turn to see Millie standing by the door, Pansy right behind her. When she caught my eye, she nodded once and then left. But not without a glance towards Blaise's direction, who ignored her. Hmmn, interesting…

"You're boyfriend here was playing fireman, Mill," Felix answers, getting his head out of the covers. "He woke Blaise with _Aguamenti_."

"Really?" Millie smiles brightly at Theodore.

"You told him, didn't you?" Blaise cast a look at his step-sister.

"I might have mentioned it sometime. Hi Ginny!" she says and walks over to Theo who was sitting on his bed. "Good morning handsome."

Blaise mutters something under his breath then turned to me again. "What do you want, Weasel?"

I roll my eyes at the name. "I want you to pick up your arse and get it into the shower. I need to speak with you about something."

"About what?"

"I'll tell you when you're all dry and clean," I smirk.

"Where's your best friend anyway? Does he know you're wreaking havoc in his House?" he glares at me.

I shrug. "He's still sleeping."

"He shouldn't ever leave you alone woman. You're a danger to sleeping men," he shakes his head.

"Hey, it was Theo who woke you up with the water spell, not me," I argue and turn to Theo. "Right The—,"

I break off when I saw what Theo and Millie were doing and my mouth falls open. The two were kissing so passionately as we stare.

"Oh, yuck!" Felix's voice was muffled by the covers that were once again over his head. "I am marred, for life. Can't a guy get some decent sleep around here? I'm likely to be having dreams after this."

Theo leans away from Millie's lips to sneer at Felix. "Shall we turn the dreams into nightmares? Millie and I can oblige you."

Millie blushes and elbows Theo.

"Theodore!" Blaise snarled and wrenches his step-sister from her boyfriend.

Millie turns to Blaise and rolls her eyes. "Oh sod off!" then she stalks away towards the door, stops and winks at Theo. Then she's gone.

Felix and I groan. "I came here to wake Blaise up. Not witness a snogging session," I wail. This was almost as bad as seeing Bill and Fleur go at it back home.

"I'm gonna marry her," Theo dreamily says from where he was sitting.

I look at him and I suddenly realize that Millie had probably not brushed her teeth, she was wearing her pajamas and her hair hadn't seen the hairbrush since last night. And yet, here was Theo, declaring his intentions of marrying her with her step-brother present. I feel fuzzy all of a sudden.

"Over my well-toned body," Blaise mutters.

Blaise's Mum, Aunt Christina, has remarried Alexander Bulstrode, Millie's dad. Ever since Blaise's dad left her for another woman, Aunt Christina had married, divorced and married again. I personally thought that she couldn't find someone who overthrows her love for Blaise's dad. I often tell Draco that Aunt Tina's still in love with him, that's why she can't find the right guy. But that was before Alexander. They met at a gala that she attended with Mum, Aunt Cissa and Aunt Lily and she was smitten by his looks. He was different from Blaise's dad, who was dark and brooding. Alexander had this light aura around him and that seemed to attract Aunt Tina. A few months of courting and they married. We were all thrilled about it. Especially Blaise and Millie who had become closer since the courtship. Everyone who knew them had high hopes that the marriage would work out. So far, it is. Two years and still going strong, as Alexander put it.

Aunt Tina was partly a Black, making Blaise a distant cousin of Draco. This was one of the reasons why she was with the Order. When he married her, Alexander decided to join in and he became the resident Healer of the Order.

I turn to Blaise and grin. "Do you know how much you sounded like Ron?"

"No, and I don't think I do," he curtly answers and stomps out of the room and into the bathroom.

"I'll wait for you at the Common Room!" I shout with a grin. He answers me with a loud "Get lost!" and I laugh. Sulky Blaise indeed.

"What'd you do to him?" a voice I know so well says and I turn to see Draco leaning on the door jamb, arms folded on his chest and staring at me with interest. I realized I've been waiting for him to show up.

Seriously, I had wished that whatever silly thing I was feeling for him would go away once I awoke this morning. I honestly believed that it was just a spur-of-the-moment kind of thing brought about by the moonlight last night. But as I stare at him right now, I realize that the feeling was still there. It made my heart thump again.

"Hey Drake!" Theo cheerfully waves at him. "D'you send Ginny here to give Blaise hell?"

"I bet he did!" Blaise yells from the bathroom.

"No, I didn't," Draco shouts back. "What's going on?" he turns to me. "Why are you here?"

"Oooh…hubby misses the wifey!" Blaise shouts again.

"Shut up!" Draco shoots back.

"Can't everyone talk normally around here anymore?" Felix groans and slips out of the bed and out of the room.

Theodore laughs at this and walks over to us. He claps Draco at the back and says, "Welcome back to Slytherin, Drake!" then he goes out of the room.

Draco mutters something under his breath before looking at me again. "Well?"

"I came to talk to Blaise about my plan," I whisper to him.

He looks at me with these grey eyes that seemed to sparkle more today than any other day I've seen them. "You're still doing that?"

I shrug. "I want to help. Are you in?"

"Draco and Ginny sitting by a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G…" Blaise sounded sings in the shower.

I blush and Draco stiffens. Then he stoops down his head and whispers in my ear, his hot breath fanning my neck. "Do you promise to give him hell while we match him up?"

I couldn't speak at all. My voice was either stuck in my throat or had entirely dissolved in to nothingness. I nod.

"Good. Then I am in."

* * *

**A/N:** Again, I am so sorry about the delay. I'm not promising anything. But I'll try my best to make time for this one. Thanks guys! I love you all! GOD Bless!


	4. The SHAGGING Song by Millicent Bulstrode

**Disclaimer:** J.K. Rowling owns the whole Harry Potter world. I just like to put them in other strange situations such as the one you're about to read.

**A/N:** I am beyond sorry, guys. I know this is super late, but I'm graduating this year so things have been really hectic here right now. I'm really sorry. I'm in the middle of thesis revisings, musical plays, acting in short films and doing tons of other papers and projects. It's really crazy. Please understand. I'm not promising that I'll be posting another one soon, and I think you know better than to expect, but let me assure you that I'm going to finish this one. I promise!

* * *

**Chapter 4 – The SHAGGING Song by Millicent Bulstrode**

**Draco**

Blaise should have run when he saw her face that morning.

I would, if it was me. Which, fortunately, it wasn't.

But of course, Blaise was too busy smirking and singing that stupid "Kissing Song" to pay attention to the look Ginny was giving him. A look I know so well. Because that look only meant one thing: Trouble. With a capital, bold, underlined, letter T.

I hope you'll never, ever become as daft and stupid as Blaise is today, angering Ginny while she was already plotting on crushing his future days.

"First comes love and then comes marriage and then comes Draco with a baby carriage!" Blaise sings loudly as we walk to the Great Hall. He is walking backwards, one hand inside his pocket. The other is pointing and he is waving it like a conductor's stick. He's looking extremely pleased with himself today and you don't need to know that I hate that look on him. It's usually because he thinks he's bugging me, or Ginny. He had been raising his eyebrows at me while he sang; you also won't need to be told that I could not wait to see how that face will fall when he hears what Ginny has in store for him. Blaise pauses, looking thoughtful and says, "Oh wait, that's not right. Ginny should be the one with the pram right?" he has the nerve to look at us for an answer. Both Ginny and I just stare at him.

The nerve of this guy.

"You are so in trouble Blaise," Luna smiles at Ginny and me as she pushes herself from the wall near a classroom's door. "You took so long. I was waiting for you by the Head Rooms earlier but you weren't there," she tells Ginny.

"Oh, Ginny was in Slytherin dungeons early this morning," Blaise sneers at Ginny while talking to Luna, and still walking backwards. "She's sent as ambassador by the Prime Minister of Prats to bring hell to his former dormitory. Although I still haven't a clue why," he suddenly looks thoughtful. "It seemed very important to wake me up at five in the morning," then he glares at Ginny. "Very important since I was woken up by a spray of water right smack on the face."

"Is that why you're teasing them?" Luna smiles again. I swear to you, this girl has one expression only: smiling dreamily. Oh scratch that, she has two. But the other includes Harry and I think you know what I mean, so let's not talk about it. And let's not talk about how I saw that look. Believe me, you wouldn't want to know. You can ask Ginny, she was beside me the whole time. This I will tell you though: it involved a large but low boulder at the back of Hagrid's hut that could pass as a table…or a bed.

"No, that's just typical Blaise," Ginny answers with a roll of her eyes. "Getting a kick out of tormenting others with things only he considers funny. Can you turn around and walk properly prat? I'm getting tired of seeing that smirk on your bloody face," Ginny elbows me slightly and cocks her head in front of us. I spot a black haired girl walking directly near Blaise. If he turns around, he might...

Blaise shrugs and then turns around...right smack into Pansy Parkinson's back. "Oh sorry I..." he trails off when he sees who it was he ran into. A moment of silence fell among all of us then he speaks up with a, "Oh, it's only you," then he stalks off, singing no more, back stiff. We watch as Pansy turns red on the face and looks away.

I glance down at Ginny and say, "You should have been in Slytherin."

Ginny pretends to look horrified and says, "And see that git all the time? No way. I'd rather go live with Uncle Sev myself…" then she trails off, face scrunching up with what she just said. "Er…I did not just say that."

I laugh and tug at a strand of her hair. She blushes.

You know, she's been doing a lot of that this morning, the blushing I mean. I know, it looks good on her whenever she blushes, as her cheeks get all reddish pink but I can't figure out why she was blushing all the time. I assume it was something she was thinking but I can't, for some reason, read what she was thinking today. I know some Legilimency, but I've never really tried it on her. I didn't have to as she's very easy to read most of the time. And even if I perfect Legilimency someday, I respect her too much to just read into her thoughts like a criminal.

"So, what's the plan?" we both look at Luna who was twirling a strand of her hair around a finger.

"Plan?" we both ask her.

"You have that look on your face Ginny," she smiles again. Smile, smile, smile. You'd think she's in Hufflepuff. "And Draco does too."

"Me?" I point to myself. I didn't know what I'd looked like.

"Yeah. Ginny was looking at Blaise in her usual no-good look," Luna giggles. She is definitely Hufflepuff. "And you looked like you felt sorry for him. What's the plan?"

We, Gin and I that is, look at each other, or should I say I tried to look at her in the eye and she preferred to focus more on my necktie, and shrugs. "Come sit with us at the Gryffindor table," Gin smiles at her.

"Okay," she shrugs and leaves us alone to walk with Millie and Theo.

"Is Blaise really that daft?" Ginny asks me, staring at Luna's back. "I mean, Millie even asked me today if I'm up to no good. You'd think he'll be warned. People seemed to know when I plan something, but he doesn't."

"That's because he's too busy teasing the two of us to look out for his own protection," I smirk. "Seriously, the Kissing Song? That's for nine-year-olds."

Millie, who is walking in front of us, suddenly turns and says, "Would you like it to be the Shagging Song then?" Theodore sniggers as my smirk melts away.

"How does that one go Mill?" Luna asks.

I felt my eyes go large and Ginny stiffen beside me. Millie wouldn't dare...

"Draco and Ginny sitting by a tree, S-H-A-GG-I-N-G," she sings and then bursts out laughing. "Of course there's an extra letter so you have to speed the spelling out on that part, but other than that, it's perfect, right?" she looks up at as and smiles.

What do you get for double murder? Because these step-siblings are really getting into my nerves.

It's not like this is the first time anyone has teased us together before. I mean, people get one look at us and suddenly think that we're together. We're used to it. But somehow, today, something was different. Was it because of the Shagging Song? You know, the image was burning in my mind but I've dealt with that before. And whenever we're teased, I was able to laugh along Ginny whenever she does; but there was something wrong today.

I take a look at Ginny and she is walking stiffly, red on the face and serious. Oh, that's it. My best friend wasn't laughing. I wonder what was going on.

I figure this wasn't the best time to ask her, so I fix a glare at Millicent and say, "Grow up, Mill."

She grins at me and says back, "Grow a back bone already, Drake," then she saunters off with Theodore and Luna beside her.

Too shocked to speak, I glance at Ginny who is still icily walking, the blush on her face fading now. I don't know if she understood what Millie meant by that last snark and I don't want to know if she did understand. My heart was pounding. I didn't know what was worse, that she had indeed understood what Millie had meant, or if she asked me what it meant. I wouldn't know what to do in those occasions. That made me so anxious I didn't even realize we were at the Great Hall, I just realized that it as a deep voice behind me say, "Are you planning to stand there all day, my dear Head Boy and Girl?"

Ginny and I turn around and see the Headmaster smiling down at us.

"Well?" he says, his hands planted on his sides like wings.

"Sorry Professor," I mutter and step in the Great Hall. Ginny follows me and we both walk to the Gryffindor table where Blaise already seated himself. Ginny told him earlier to sit at her table and I'm surprised Blaise followed her.

"So what's the big announcement, Weasley?" Blaise glares at us as soon as we arrived at the table. "I don't have all day."

"Why? What's up today?" Ginny asks as she sits down, reaching for two slices of breads and giving one to me.

"I bet he'll be very busy sulking at some dark alcove," I answer and smirk at Blaise who scowls at me.

"I do not sulk!" he protests and crosses his arms in front of him and pouts. Do not sulk alright.

"Sure you don't Blaise," Ginny smiles at him. "That's why I want you to prove it to other people that you aren't."

"And what do I care about other people?" Blaise snaps, then his expression changes into something softer and…troubled. "Wait, are you telling me that they've been talking about me?"

Ginny looks at me. Her eyes were sparkling with naughtiness that she quickly hides when she faces Blaise again. "Well, there have been some people…"

"Who are these people?" Blaise roars. He stands up and looks around him ferociously, like a lion looking for enemies.

Ginny, I see, is biting back a grin. I, on the other hand, am painfully clutching my sides to keep myself from laughing. "Blaise," she tugs at his hand. "Sit down. Reacting like that would only confirm that they were right."

Blaise glares at Ginny but he sits back on the bench then proceeds again to take his 'not-sulking' pose: lips pouted, arms crossed, eyes slit. "What have they been saying?"

"That you're so busy sulking that you're turning like Filch. They keep on betting when you'll take Crookshanks off from Gryffindor and turn her into your personal Mrs. Norris. All because of what happened between you and Pansy," Luna answers.

Ginny and I are taken aback while Luna smiles at us. Merlin's pants! This girl is brilliant. Maybe she does belong to Ravenclaw after all. Ginny gives her a nod as I stifle another laugh. Seeing Blaise turn red in the face—and by red, I mean really red—was not an everyday sight. He'd like to say that he does not blush, but let's face it, he's as bad as Ronald Weasley is when ashamed.

"The-they…what?" Blaise stutters, looking very horrified and embarrassed at the same time. "That…that's n-not true!" he explodes.

"See," Ginny leans forward and lays a hand on his clenched one. She looks deeply in his eyes—for a moment, I want to rip Blaise's head off his body—as a Head Healer does with a patient to show that she understands. "We knew it's not true, but these people?" she emphasizes it with a shake of the head. "They don't Blaise. They see otherwise."

"W-well!" Blaise gets out from gritted teeth. "I don't care! As far as I know Pansy Parkinson does not exist," he says that with a forced conviction.

Ginny looks at him; her eyes pitying Blaise. She was always a good actress and I have seen her do these things to get what she wants; it still never ceases to amaze me.

"Well, since you put it that way…" Ginny sits back and smiles at him, taking her hand from his. I beam. "Draco and I won't be worrying about you anymore. You were right Draco, he won't have a problem finding a date for the Ball," she says, looking over to me with her eyes flashing me a warning glance.

A ball? I didn't know there would be a ball.

But Ginny was nudging me with her feet below the table so I turn to Blaise and nods. "Yep, he sure won't."

"Ball? What ball?" Blaise asks us, staring from Ginny to me.

"Oh, we're not supposed to say anything about it yet, but I just wanted to warn you that there's an upcoming ball," Ginny says, smiling nonchalantly, as if she was not lying. I shake my head. This is very painful to watch. Too painful, yet so much fun. "This is the best time to prove to everyone that you have indeed moved on."

Blaise stares dryly at her for a while then disentangles his arms to reach for his pumpkin juice. "I don't have to prove anything to anyone, Weasley."

At this point, I step in. I know Blaise would be pulling that 'I'm better than what you think of me' card. Whenever he does, he gets very hardheaded. Since I'm more familiar with this one—because I've done it many times too—I decide not to make it harder for Ginny any longer. Who knows what she'll do?

"Blaise, man," I start. "I know you don't care how they view you. Fuck them all to oblivion, anyway. But it is really disturbing to hear that a Slytherin, a _Slytherin_ Blaise, cannot get a hold of himself. Now, I am not saying that you can't. It's just that they _have_ been talking about you that way. And no matter how hard you deny that you are not sulking, they're still saying those things about you. This reflects our house badly, mate," I pause to see what he'll say about this.

He's looking at me with a torn expression on his face. Of course he can't say that he does not care how this affects our house; he's a prefect and his Mum's family were all Slytherins. But I saw that he's still not willing to surrender.

"I'm okay Draco," he says weakly, after a long moment of silence.

"I know you are man," I nod. Then I look at Ginny, and she looks at me unflinchingly for the first time of the day. "But Ginny and I are concerned. You _have_ been sulking Blaise, face it. And it's not in the least a pretty sight."

"If you're really over Pansy," Ginny adds. "Why not show the world? At least, this way, you get to shut the buggers up, make them see that they're wrong, _and_ find someone new. It's killing three birds with one, damned stone."

Luna leans over to joins us gang up on Blaise and says, "I know some girls who'd love to catch your attention Baise. Now that Pansy's got a boy, shouldn't you get your own? I mean, a _girl_ of your own, that is."

Blaise looks at us three. I can almost hear his mind working away and digesting what we were saying.

"So," he says slowly. "I just have to get a date for this Ball, which is when by the way?"

"Christmas," says Gin as I say "Halloween".

"What?" Blaise's eyes begin to look suspiciously at us.

"Christmas _and_ Halloween," says Luna.

"We're to have _two_ Balls this year?" he asks incredulously.

Ginny and I exchange apologetic looks to each other before nodding. "Yes," I answer, praying that Dumbledore would agree to have two Balls this year.

"And you don't have to worry about finding a date Blaise," Ginny smiles at him, eager to steer away from the subject of the two balls. "We, that is Draco, Luna, Millie and I are going to help you find the perfect date!"

I start to nod only to stop. "I am?" As far as I'm concerned, I was only here to help convince Blaise to unknowingly subject himself to Ginny's evil machinations. I didn't know I was playing Cupid too.

Ginny casts me a warning glance again. "Of course D, you know Blaise well. You'll know what he wants in a girl."

"Why can't I just _ask_ a girl myself? I know what _I_ want," Blaise says.

I nod in agreement. But stops when a sharp pain pierced through my ankle.

"Because Blaise, we want to help you," Ginny smiles at him cheerily. I'm telling you, she rejoices in my sufferings. "And besides, this is your last year here. We want you to be happy. And to achieve that, you must be able to _focus_ on freeing yourself from Pansy's clutches. While you're doing that, we're going to be screening some girls for you. That way, we save time," she finishes, looking extremely pleased with herself.

"And really Blaise, if we let you do it yourself without you detaching yourself _firmly_ from the Pansy era, that'll only muck up your chances at getting a girl. Plus, it'll add more to the things they've been telling about you," Luna adds.

Both girls are wearing this evil look on there faces—which was really readable—if only Blaise would look closely at them.

But he didn't look at them. Instead, he looks over the Slytherin table and sees Pansy sitting beside Goyle. He is absolutely _not_ over her.

"Whatever," he says finally. "Just find me a girl fast."

* * *

I have not seen Ginny all day. We usually have free period together during Fridays, but she sent me a message—via a scrawny first year boy—that she was busy about something and she can't meet me at the library where we usually hang out.

I'm guessing she's already on her way to convincing Dumbledore to hold a ball, oh wait _two_ balls, this year. She's probably using her fool-proof, eyelash-batting technique to get what she wants. Nah, just kidding. She'll never bat her eyelashes at _Dumbledore_. She's probably just on her knees…nah…anyway, she's convincing him. That I'm sure of.

So, I haven't seen her all day. I spend free period in the library as always, and that's where Pansy Parkinson finds me. She slides over to the seat in front of me and looks into my eyes. For a moment none of us talk, but Pansy has this eerie way of staring people down. You cannot win in a staring down contest against her. Even I can't beat her into it. She's got a way of making you feel like scum. Or something like that.

"What?" I ask her in irritation.

Then she goes all shy and blushes fiercely. What is it with people and blushing today? Pansy is now staring at her hands, finding them suddenly more interesting than my question.

"Look Pansy, I'm studying right now, if you can't see that. What do you want from me?" I tell her, noting her downcast eyes and feeling a little sorry for her. "I'm sorry Pans, but I—,"

"Do you guys hate me?" she gets out suddenly, face whipping up to look at me again and I was taken aback to see tears in her eyes.

"Er…what?" I manage to get out.

"Do…you…g-guys…" Oh crap, she's going to cry.

"Hate you? No! Why would we?" I answer immediately before she cries.

"Because of Blaise," she says, openly sobbing now.

Ginevra Weasley has to be the person with the best timing, ever. She should have been here, dealing with this. Did she know Pansy would do this so she left me alone to take care of it?

"Uh, Pansy, whatever is going on between you and Blaise, that's your problem," I tell her. "Though, uh, I don't think kissing Goyle in front of him actually was a good idea, I don't hate you for it."

Pansy appears to be considering this statement. Then she looks up again and says, in a more controlled voice, "I…I heard you were going to set him up with a f-few girls."

I peer at her as a thought suddenly flashes through my mind.

"Say," I start. "You're not jealous, are you?"

Her head comes whipping up and she looks at me with a pair of horrified eyes, red-rimmed and watery. "No!" she sputters out.

I continue to stare at her and she looks down…did I just beat Pansy Parkinson at staring?

"Wh-why are you staring at me like that?" she stammers. "I'm n-not je-jealous!"

I smirk and sit back, crossing my arms in front of me. "Of course you're not. After all, you were the one who turned Blaise down. It'll seem odd for you to be jealous, while you said so yourself that you don't want anything more to do with him."

And she said that too. Quite loudly actually…well, she shouted it to him during the Slytherin Christmas party last year.

She does not say anything to me; just stares down at her hands on her lap. My assumption proves to be more and more correct: she has feelings for Blaise.

Then she looks up to me and says quietly, "I did say that, didn't I?"

I nod. "Shouted it, as a matter of fact."

She gives me a small smile and nods back. "Well," she clears her throat. "So, you're setting him up?"

I quirk an eyebrow at her, "Yes."

She nods again. "I'd like to help."

* * *

I'm in our Common Room tonight, just before dinner, thinking about what happened earlier. Pansy seemed to be bent on making it up to Blaise, even offering to help us in choosing the right girl for Blaise. It's kind of ironic really, that Pansy would like to help Blaise find a date when all Blaise ever wanted—or still wants---is her. Why can't they just see that they like each other?

And why am I even thinking about this? I should be focusing on making my feeling known to Ginny. I do not have time to worry over someone else's love life!

I turn my thoughts to the weird blushing and avoiding of looks that Ginny exhibited earlier. Does she have a secret? But she knows she can tell me everything. So it must be something else. Is she dating someone new that she's afraid to introduce to me? I scan my head for the usual signs Ginny usually gives off when she's dating a guy: giddy smile, glazed, glittery eyes, and she turns on this very sophisticated air of…well, sophistication?

But I can't see these, any of these to her. She's her usual devious self, but I can't help but feel that she _is_ keeping something from me. I wonder what?

And besides, she haven't even used her usual line of 'Guess what D?' which spoken in a very joyful way, and to which I answer with a lousy 'What?' The answer to this is 'I'm seeing _insert name here_!'

So what is wrong with her? Did she break any of my Quidditch Memorabilia and is ashamed to tell me? Did she accidentally blurt out to Blaise, of all people, that I used to suck my toes until I'm two? But Blaise would have announced that by now.

What then?

I hear the door of the Common Room open with a bang and I look up to see Ginny Weasley skipping into the room, with a giddy smile on her face, glazed glittery eyes, and…well, she's not really emitting an sophisticated air of…fine, sophistication but that really does not matter. My heart feels very heavy as I see the signs before me.

I just have to wait for the…

"D! Guess what?"

See? See! I knew it! She's dating someone new! Maybe this guy is a serious thing for her, that's why she's blushing all the time.

"Why?" I weakly speak my part, all the while thinking about possibilities as she spoke.

She's really serious about this! Just look at her smile. I bet the guy has proposed to her and they're getting married right after they graduate! I also bet my whole beloved Quidditch Memorabilia—that are all signed by professional Quidditch players—that the guy promised to buy her a summer house in some foreign island, where they're likely to spend their honeymoon! _Honeymoon_? Whoever he is, he's delusional if he thought that he can touch Ginny without me pummeling his face first. Never mind her brothers! I'm going to be the first to pack a punch on…

"…Dumbledore!"

My thoughts come to a skidding halt as I take in what I have just heard. "D-Dumbledore?"

She nodded happily.

Merlin, my best friend is in love with Albus Lemon-Drop Dumbledore!

"…and he told me that I can be in charge of everything: the theme, the food…Draco?"

I look up to see her frowning at me. "Wu-wut?" I manage to mumble out.

"Are you all right? You look sick," she says.

Oh how am I supposed to tell her that it's because she's marrying Dumbledore? Let her pick the theme for their wedding, did he? And the food? I can't believe this!

"G-Gin…" I manage to get out, despite the fact that my throat is constricting and my stomach is pushing to make me see my lunch again.

"It's really amazing that he agreed to my proposal!" she continues to chirp happily.

Gulp. She proposed? _She_._ Proposed?_

"Imagine, not one, but two balls!"

She prop—what?

Stupid.

"So, we're actually going to be very busy these days, Drake!" she starts doing her patented happy dance of wiggling hands and hips. "I did it!"

I just stare at her, momentarily speechless. Being stupid does that to you. So does jumping into conclusions.

"Are you all right?" I find her suddenly sitting beside me. "Draco Malfoy?"

I look into her eyes, suddenly very glad that she's not dating anyone…especially _Dumbledore_! She's not getting married and not, certainly not, going to some uninhabited island for her honeymoon!

Suddenly I wanted very much to do _her_ patented happy dance. But as I _am_ Draco Malfoy, and Malfoy's do not have happy dances, then I just pull her to me and hug her.

"Drake!" she cries out as she comes crashing into my chest. "What's wrong?"

I shake my head. "Nothing! I'm…I'm just very happy!"

She nods. "I know! I was very sure he would not agree, but it worked when I told him that it'll be helpful in keeping everyone's minds off the issue with Voldemort."

I can feel her smiling against my chest. Then, automatically, my hand goes up and lands on her hair. I begin to stroke it.

It seemed like forever before one of us decided to talk.

"Uhm, Drake?" she calls out.

"Mmmn?" I mumble, savoring the moment.

"You can release me now."

My eyes, which had closed without me really noticing it, flew open and I quickly put distance between us.

"Oh, s-sorry!" I tell her.

I'm pretty sure, if I can blush, I would have given Ron a run for his money.

That is if I can beat Ginny's face right now.

"Right," she says, giving me a strained smile. "So, uhm…how was your day?"

I calm myself first before I answer. "Confusing."

"Confusing?" she cocks her head on one side, tucking her legs beneath her. We are at the sofa in front of the fireplace. "What's so confusing about it?"

"Well, Pansy…" I then proceed to tell her about my conversation with Pansy and by the time I've finished, she was sporting her excited look again. Which means, she's up to something.

"This is great! I think you're right! She likes Blaise too."

"And why do I get the feeling that you're going to do something about it?" I slide a glance at her.

"Oh no," she smiles at me deviously. "_We're_ going to do something about it."

* * *

"You're toast, Gin," Millie says from her spot in front of us. We are at the Three Broomsticks, currently overseeing Blaise's date with Nina Fisher, the first girl we've set up for him. It has been a week since we proposed this to matchmaking service to Blaise. Although, for us, Luna, Ginny, Millie, Theo and me that is, this is not a matchmaking service anymore.

Ginny had shared to the others my suspicions of Pansy liking Blaise back. They, rather, the girls, decided that we should get the two back together. Theo and I went along with the plan. Millie and Ginny are both adept with certain hexes after all. Not to mention Luna sweetly threatened us two, that she'll send our just-out-of-bed pictures to her dad's newspaper The Quibbler. I do not know how she got those, but I have this nagging suspicion that Millie, Ginny and Colin Creevey had something to do with it.

So anyway, Blaise is currently with his date, a few tables away from us. Pansy told me that Blaise doesn't prefer any specific hair color and does not really care for the size of the girl's waist, just as long as her hands and feet were dainty. Weird category I know, but well, that's Blaise.

As this is a not-matchmaking-service-anymore-but-Blaise-doesn't-need-to-know service, you can expect that something is going wrong for the girl. Nina is a brunette, her hair cut short suspiciously like Blaise's former best friend. She's pretty and slim too. But her hands are quite big, and her shoe size are closer to a man's medium sized-shoe. That's the reason why Blaise, instead of staring enamored at his date, was glaring daggers at us for quite some time now.

Ginny smiles at Millie. "I know. It's brilliant right?"

Girls. I can never understand them. I kind of feel sorry for Nina too. She's a nice Ravenclaw and I think she really likes Blaise. But of course, when Ginny wants something—no offense meant—she does everything to get it, others be damned.

Theo and I share a look. "You girls do realize that we're not doing anything to rescue you from him, right?" I tell them.

Millie waves her hand dismissively. "Oh, we can handle ourselves, Malfoy."

Luna nods. "So who's next on your list, Gin?"

Ginny leans forward and smiles evilly. "Karen Moore."

"No!" Millie and Luna say in that astonished way that girls gossiping seemed to have perfected.

I must explain. Karen Moore, is a Hufflepuff. Pansy had absolutely told us that Hufflepuffs are no-no's. Blaise dislikes over-giggling and Hufflepuffs tend to…well…they do it all the time. Even the boys.

"This is bad," Theo shakes his head. "I'm washing my hands on this one. This is all you girls written all over it."

Millie raises an eyebrow at her boyfriend. "Really?"

Theo eyes her, "'Course not, love. Just kidding."

I roll my eyes. He's worse than Bill, Ginny's eldest brother, whose goal in life is to please his Veela wife at every turn.

"Anyway, I need to pick up a few things from the bookstore," Ginny says, standing up. "I'll meet you guys at Hogwarts?" she asks. "Draco, can you help me?"

I stand up and nod. "Of course."

I realized that Bill, Theo and me are not so different from each other.

We exit the Three Broomsticks, all the while feeling Blaise's glare on our backs. We make our way to the bookstore in Hogsmead, talking about how Blaise would react once we were back in the castle.

All of a sudden, a carriage came barreling through the crowd, parting it in frenzy.

My eyes open wide, I hear Ginny gasp and the only thing I was able to do was pull her out of the way.

I crash, still standing, into a wall of a building. I look down to my arms where I was clutching Ginny and I sigh in relief. She's all right.

She's all right!

I clutch her tightly against my chest and listen to her breathing heavily. We were so close. I look at where the carriage had gone but it was nowhere to be seen, a cloud of dust after left it.

I look down at Ginny and I find myself staring at her brown eyes as she stares right back at me.

"Are you all right?" I whisper. That was all I can manage.

She gulps and then nods. "Yes."

I nod back. "That's good then."

"Yes," she whispers again.

We fall into silence again, just staring at each other. Then, all of a sudden, I feel her nose bump into mine. Did I lean down too much? Did she lean up too much? I can kiss her, if only I'd move my head more. But, no. I can't. That would be…

Before I knew it, she had leaned up more and her lips were pressed on to mine.

* * *

**A/N:** I'm so sorry! Please let me know if you guys are still there. GOD Bless!


	5. He Said, She Said

**Disclaimer: **J.K. Rowling owns the whole Harry Potter world. I just like to put them in other strange situations such as the one you're about to read.

**A/N:** (Looks around and emerges from the rabbit hole) Err... hello there guys! Happy New Year! I know it's been (dodges the first tomato)... right. Uhm, yeah it's been quite a while, I know (dodge), and I'm really sorry about the delay. My USB, where I kept my files, ("There's a reason why My Documents exist, moron!"), err...yeah, I know. So uhm, my USB (dodge) gotlostandIjustfounditandhere'sthestoryIhopeyouguyslikeit... (Scrambles away in terror).

* * *

**Chapter 5 – He Said, She Said**

**Draco**

I honestly do not know what to feel anymore. The moment I felt her lips touch mine, my mind blanked out. Then just before the beginnings of happiness crept into my brain, she had pulled away. We stared at each other and a lump began to form in my throat. My heart was beating so fast and as I tried to force it down so I could speak, she laughed.

Yes, she laughed.

For days I've been wondering how she could have found it funny that we kissed. I mean, sure, it was awkward; sure it might have been a funny thing, kissing your best friend like that. But to actually laugh at said best friend's face?

Man, that sucks.

I guess she really does not feel anything for me. Especially since she's taken up with that Muggle River Atkins again, the one she was supposed to be dating during last summer. I had managed to put a stop to that, telling her she can't date anyone during summer vacations since it's our time together. Luckily, she had agreed and promised not to date stupid Atkins or anyone else during summer vacations. Unluckily, summer vacations are now finished and Ginny and Atkins are dating again.

I'm supposed to be numb about it by now. I'm used to Ginny and her boyfriends. I'm used to being just the best friend. I'm used to it, really. But I still can't shake the pain whenever I see Ginny smiling happily at other boys. Or when she laughs because they told her something funny. Or when she blushes when they do something sweet for her. And especially when I see them touching her like I always want to touch her. It hurts.

But there's nothing I can do about it. Ginny does not appreciate any babying from anyone, so scaring Atkins off is not a wise thing to do. I can tell her how I feel though, but she'll probably laugh at me again.

"How many times do we have to add powdered newt eyeballs to the potion again?" Millicent, who was my lab partner, asks me.

"Three," I answer her. We're at Double Potions class, brewing today's lesson, an antidote for Kneazle piss, which can give you itches all over.

"And I stir it…?"

"Two times counterclockwise, then one clockwise,"

"I'm so glad you're my partner," she beams at me.

I sneer at her. "What a parasite."

"Hey!" she slaps my arm playfully. "I resent that."

I stare at her for a while then shake my head. We've been partners since first year and Uncle Sev…err, Professor Snape, prefers the partnerships to stay the same every year. Millicent has always been the envy of all Potions students since we're partners. I'm kind of a whiz at Potions if I do say so myself.

"So how are things going with Ginny?" she says, pounding the newt eyeball to powder with vengeance. "Why did she date Atkins all of a sudden?"

"Are you mad at the eyeball, Mill?" I ask her. I take the mortar and pestle from her and pounded the eyeball carefully.

"Hey, it'll turn to powder either way," Millicent shrugs. "So," she leans on the worktable and eyes me. "Ginny and Atkins?"

I shrug. "It's not really sudden. They were already going out during the end of last term's."

"Really? I didn't know that," she says thoughtfully. "Are you okay about it?" I eye her. "Okay, wrong question. How are you, then?"

"I don't know," I shrug again.

"Oh come on, Drake. We all know what's going on between the two of you. You can trust me. You really need to let that out."

"Nothing's going one between me and Ginny, Mill. That's the problem," I say shortly. "I don't want to talk about it."

I concentrate at pounding the eyeball, with a little more force this time. I hear Millicent sigh and she reaches out to take the mortar and pestle from me.

"Let me help, Drake," she silently says.

And I know that it's not just for the potion.

* * *

After Potions class, I find myself walking beside Blaise to the Great Hall.

He's sulking again. Pansy and him are partners in Potions class so that explains the sulky mood.

"So," I try to talk to him. I know better than let him sulk and stay silent. He'll probably affect my mood too. "How's the Ravenclaw you're dating?"

"Fine," he answers shortly.

"What's her name? Giana?" I try again.

He shrugs. "Guileana."

"Oh."

"She's alright."

"But?"

"I've decided I do not like black-haired girls. Especially the one with short haircuts," he tells me.

"Oh."

He turns and stares at me. "Be sure to tell your best friend that!"

I almost smile. "You know Ginny, she's not one to follow rules."

He glares at me. "Well, one more raven-haired girl and I'm going to back out of this."

"Why don't you back out know?" I challenge him, my eyebrow raising.

For a while, he stays silent then with a sigh he answers. "I don't know. I guess I just want to forget Pansy," then his tone hardens. "But Ginny makes it harder for me, setting me up with girls like that."

We fall silent after that, both of us consumed by our own thoughts.

Then he says, "Ginny…she makes it harder for you."

It wasn't a question, more of a statement. Made by someone who knows too damn well how I felt. We must look like a picture of despair, Blaise and I. Both in love with our best friends, and both helpless about it.

"Why do you think we do it?" Blaise asks when I did not answer.

"Do what?"

"Stay."

I look ahead, glancing at the people around us. Couples walking together, boys talking about girls and Quidditch, girls talking about boys and make-up…some girls were glancing at us as we walk through the Great Hall doors. They were pretty. But that's it. They're not Ginny, and for Blaise, they're not Pansy.

"We both know the answer why, Blaise," I tell him finally. We arrive at the Slytherin table and take our seats.

"Yeah, I guess we do."

I grit my teeth and force myself to stay in my seat as I hear Ginny laughing from the Ravenclaw table. Stupid Atkins.

"Yeah, I know," Blaise says to me.

I glance at him and does not ask what he's talking about. As much as I hate people knowing how vulnerable I feel, I cannot fault Blaise about it. He does know how I feel; he's pretty much going through the same things as I am.

"The question is what you want to do about it," he says.

"Nothing," I force myself to eat and remain calm.

"That answer again," he sighs and shakes his head. "Well, if you change your mind, let me know."

I stop myself from glancing towards the Ravenclaw table where Ginny and Atkins are seated, eating their dinner together. I do not need to hurt myself unnecessarily.

In the middle of dinner, Headmaster Dumbledore makes an announcement that I barely listen to. I catch snatches of what the Headmaster is saying, which I presume is about Veelas and the Balls. After the announcement, I go out of the Great Hall, badly in need of fresh air.

I end up sitting by the lake, legs stretched in front of me, my back against a tree's trunk.

Many things flooded through my brain the instant I settled down. Why had she kissed me? Did she feel the same way as I do about her? But why did she laugh then? Is it because I rescued her from that carriage and she felt grateful? Maybe. Maybe not.

I hate it when I don't know the answer. I feel helpless and lost and so frustrated.

I mull over the things going through my brain some more. I wanted to sort my questions and feelings out before I go back inside. I wanted to be calm when I face Ginny in our rooms.

I shift my position so I'm lying on my back, staring at the stars above.

Why?

* * *

**Ginny**

I haven't seen Draco after dinner. Where could he have gone? It's now near curfew and it's not like him to not inform me if he's going somewhere.

I shift restlessly in my seat on the Common Room's sofa, throwing a glance at the door. What is he doing anyway? Who is he with?

I stand up, unable to sit any longer and walk out of the room. I find myself going to the Slytherin dungeons and then stop when I reach the Slytherin portrait. Amidst all the thoughts going through my mind, I suddenly realize that I'm acting like a jealous wife, looking for her husband from his friends.

Here I go again, thinking that Draco and I are a married couple. It's been a week since the kiss, a week full of reasoning with myself and asking myself if I'm mad. I still don't know what came over me that day that made me kiss Draco. I mean, what could possibly be the reason why I kissed him on the lips like that?

At first I thought it was just because he rescued me from the carriage. Maybe I just felt so grateful that he saved me that I lost all reason in my head and kissed him. But I still can't shake the feeling that there's another reason behind it. Then I blamed his eyes. If you know Draco, you would know that his eyes are the most mysterious eyes you have ever seen. It makes you want to look at it deeper. So I told myself that must be it: I got attracted by his eyes and in the process of wanting to look more closely, I kissed him. And then I told myself that if that were the case, it was not to be considered a kiss. It was merely a bumping of lips and that was that.

But even I don't believe that it was that.

I shake my head and murmured the password. I'm not dwelling on this anymore. I'm dating River now, so it would not do thinking about why I kissed my best friend. And I am not like a jealous wife looking for my husband; I'm looking for my _best friend_ because we need to talk about Professor Dumbledore's decision to invite Beauxbatons students to our Halloween Ball.

Like I need to deal with Veelas now.

The portrait swings open and I step inside. In the Common Room, I see the Slytherins lounging about, doing homework, chatting and playing chess.

"Ginny!" I turn and see Millicent coming over me, Theo right behind her. "What are you doing here?"

"Hey, Millie," I smile at her. "Have you seen Draco?"

She cocks her head on one side and looks thoughtful. "Draco? I haven't seen him since he left at dinner. Have you seen him Theo?"

Theo shakes his head. "Nope. I haven't. Blaise must have. They're sitting together at dinner tonight."

"Where is Blaise?" I ask, looking around the room.

"In our dormitory," Theo answers. "He's been there since dinner."

I nod and say, "Thanks, Theo." Then I start walking towards Blaise's dormitory.

"Blaise?" I call before opening the door. I spot Blaise on his study table, obviously doing homework as he is holding a quill.

He looks up when I enter and says, "Ginny."

I come over to his bed which was beside the study table and sit on it. "Have you seen Draco? I haven't seen him since dinner."

"Draco?" he says, then he shakes his head. "No. He left right after he finished eating. He didn't say where he was going."

I frown. Even Blaise does not know where Draco is. Where could he be?

I mull over possible answers. The library will be closed by now; the Potions Room will be too. He's not on Head Boy duty tonight and he's not observing any detention or serving one either.

"Maybe he's off snogging somebody," Blaise's voice drifts to my head.

"What?" I ask, suddenly wincing at how incredulous my voice sound like.

Blaise shrugs. "Well, that could be it. Did he tell you where he's going?"

"No," I answer, my voice back to its normal tone. But for some unknown reason, my heart was beating so fast.

"Maybe he's got a secret girlfriend that nobody knows off and that's where he is right now. Probably shagging her in a broom closet somewhere," Blaise continues to write one his essay. He sounds so calm and sure while here I am, sitting there, heart thumping and mind racing.

A girlfriend? Draco has a girlfriend? Well…that's…I mean, why would he keep her a secret? Is she ugly? Is he ashamed of her? I'm his best friend! Why keep it from me?

Okay, keep calm. This is just Blaise's theory. It doesn't have to be true. And Blaise is so full of crazy theories and ideas. This is just one of them. So keep calm. Keep…wait. Why am I even stressing over this? It's not like Draco needs my permission to date! He can date anyone without my permission, just as I can date anyone I want without his permission.

But still, to keep it secret from me…it's not like I'll hurt the girl, or scare her off. Really, it's not like that. Draco's had many girlfriends before, anyway. Why does this girl be any different?

"Ginny?"

I snap out of my thinking and look at Blaise who was staring at me curiously. "Are you okay?" he asks.

"Err…yeah," I nod. "Yeah. I'm alright. I'm just…" I stand up. "I have to go."

I walk out of the room, encountering Millicent, Theodore and Pansy outside the door.

"Hey, Gin!" Theodore says brightly. "You're leaving?"

I look up at him and smile a little. "Yeah. See you tomorrow."

"Bye," Pansy and Millie says.

"Bye."

* * *

**Blaise**

Now, that was suspicious. Ginny totally went rigid at my idea. I could still see her face registering warring emotions. Looks like I just unearthed something.

"She likes him," came a voice from the door.

I look up and see my step-sister and Theodore. "You're eavesdropping," I tell them pointedly.

She walks in and plops unceremoniously on my bed. She shrugs. "So what if we were?" she pulls her legs into an Indian-sitting position and says again, "She likes him."

I eye her. "You think?"

She nods. "We all think so," she says. "Her face looks so hurt when we saw her leaving."

"I think so too," I nod back. "But do we do anything about it?"

Theo and Millie look at each other. "I don't know," Millie answers.

We all fall silent, thinking of what we are talking about. Then Theo raises his head and says, "Maybe Pansy has some ideas, I'll go get her."

"What?" I spit out, my heart suddenly racing at the mention of her name and the possibility of her being inside my room.

Millie looks at me and rolls her eyes. "She's just outside the door, Blaise. She's seen Ginny too."

I stare at her at first. "But—,"

Theodore comes back with Pansy in tow. I take one look at her red face and I can feel the heat creeping up to mine.

"Why does she have to be here?" I demand.

Theodore raises his eyebrow at me. "She's their friend too. She deserves to be here as you do."

I snort. "How can she help them when she doesn't even know how to help herself?"

Being Pansy's friend since forever, I can tell that she's angry now. Her face hardened and her body went rigid.

"Shut up, Blaise," Millicent snaps at me. "This is not about you."

I glare at my meddling step-sister.

"Stop being so selfish for a minute Blaise," Pansy suddenly says quietly.

At her words, I erupt. "Selfish? You're calling me selfish?" I yell at her. "If you want to call someone selfish, look in the mirror! The person there deserves to be called that more than I do!"

"Will you stop making everything about you?" Pansy yells back. "This is not about us! It's about Draco and Ginny!"

"Well, what do you know about helping the two of them?" I demand. "You don't have a clue on what the two of them are going through right now!"

Pansy opens her mouth, probably to tell me off, but she closed it immediately. Her face gets redder and her eyes begin to turn watery.

I immediately feel bad.

"Pansy, I…"

She shakes her head. "You have no idea, Blaise."

Then she walks out of the room.

* * *

**Ginny**

I manage to get back to our own Common Room. When I step inside, I hear movements coming from Draco's room.

He's back!

I hurriedly walk towards his door and without knocking, I open it.

Then my mouth falls open.

"Ginny!"

Draco, a very naked Draco, stands in front me looking very surprised. He snatches his towel and hurriedly covers himself.

My eyes, which had went large at the sight of his body, snap shut and I turn around.

"I…I'm…" I stutter. "I'm sorry!" then run out of the room.

I come in to my room, and lock the door behind me. Panting, I lay my forehead on the door and refuse to think of what I just saw.

This was not the first time I saw Draco naked. I mean, we've shared baths when we were little! We have baby pictures together wearing nothing! I've seen his little birdie a long time ago and it shouldn't surprise me.

Only, his little birdie has somehow transformed since I last saw it. His little birdie isn't so little anymore. I don't think anyone can call it a 'birdie' anymore.

Okay, I'm not going there.

I sigh and walk over to my bed. I plop down, lying with arms spread beside me and stare at the canopy.

The questions I was trying very hard to answer and ignore earlier come back again. Has he been with a secret girlfriend? Maybe they _were_ snogging. That was why he needed to shower. Maybe…

A knock on my door can be heard and is followed by Draco's voice. "Gin?"

I sit up and look at the door in shock. Oh no! He's coming over!

He knocks again. "Ginny?"

"I-in a minute!" I call back.

I smooth my hair down and look at the mirror to see if my face is still red. After making sure that it's back to its normal color, I take a deep breath and walk over to the door.

I open the door and see him looking at me sheepishly.

"Hey," he greets me.

"Hey," I greet back. "Come in!" I added brightly, cursing myself all the while.

He steps in and I silently battle with myself if I should close the door or not. I close it, not really knowing why, then I face him.

"I'm sorry!" we both start to say.

I giggle nervously. "Oh, you first!" I say to him.

"No. No, you first!" he smiles at me.

"Oh. Err…well…I'm sorry," I begin. "For not knocking. I promise that I did not see a thing!"

Which is certainly not true. I saw everything, but I'm not going to tell him that.

"Oh? Ah…well…that is…" he stammers and I wince. "That's good to know then."

I nod, he nods and we both fall silent.

I cannot take the silence so I say, "Where have you been?"

He looks up at me. "Oh, I just went to the lake for fresh air, and I fell asleep."

My heart, which has been racing so fast all this time slows down. Fell asleep? By the lake?

I can't explain why I suddenly feel light. He's not with his secret girlfriend! He's not snogging her!

I was shouting these things over and over my head by all I say is, "Oh."

"Why? Were you looking for me?" he asks.

"Err…" I answer. "Yeah, I wanted to talk to you about Professor Dumbledore's plan of inviting Beauxbatons students for our Halloween party."

He cocks his head and gives me a look. "Really?"

"Didn't you hear? He gave that announcement at dinner," I tell him.

"Oh," he says, suddenly not looking at me.

Then my heart sinks. He does have a secret girlfriend. Maybe he's too busy thinking of her that he didn't hear what Professor Dumbledore said.

I force myself to look at him. "Since Blaise and Pansy are in charge of the menu, and Terry and Kate in the decorations, that leaves the Hufflepuff seventh-year prefects in charge of the welcoming."

"What about Neville and Lavender?" he asks.

"Music."

He falls silent, probably thinking about this. Then he shakes his head. "No, I don't think that's work. Ernie and Hannah are too soft. The Veelas and Veelans would be too much for them to handle."

"But there's really no other choice," I frown.

"Why don't you switch us. We'll welcome the students. The Hufflepuffs can be in charge of the program."

I mull over this for a while then nod. "You're right." Accio-ing my planner and a quill, I wrote down the changes and we proceed to talk about the other details.

Two hours later, we have the whole Ball in place.

"So, that's everything I guess," I say, putting the planner and quill back I place. "Let's call it a night."

He stands up and stretches. I carefully avert my eyes so that I won't linger on the small exposed abs that can now be seen due the stretch.

"Alright," he smiles at me and I almost gasp.

Why am I acting like this is the first time I've seen Draco smile? Why am I feeling so giddy just because he is now walking over to me? Why is my heart racing so quickly now that his face is now inches closer from mine? And why did I just jump on my seat when his lips made contact with my cheeks?

"Ginny?" he withdraws, his eyes curiously looking at me. "Are you alright?"

"I…uh, yes!" I smile at him forcibly. "Of course I am!"

He cocks his head on one side again. "You sure?"

I nod my head and smile again. "Yes!"

"O-kay," he says slowly. "I'll be going then."

I stand up and escort him towards the door. He opens it and then turns back to me. "You're sure?"

"Yes, yes!" I laugh. "I'm fine!"

He silently stares at me.

"What?" I ask defensively.

"Where did you go by that way?" he asks me.

"Oh," I answer. "I went to Slytherin to see if you were there."

"Ah," he nods. "Well, good night, Ginny."

"Good night, Draco."

He leans forward to kiss me on the cheeks again as we normally do before we separate and I turn at the same time so that we were both facing the same direction. Careful not to kiss him this time, I adjust my head the same time he does and we're facing the same direction again. I withdraw and then laugh. Well, this is awkward.

"How about I go left and you go right?" I say.

"Err…yeah, let's do that," he chuckles.

And so we do.

* * *

**Draco**

"Draco!" Blaise's voice booms amidst the chattering crowd of students.

Transfiguration had just let out and I'm walking to my next class.

I turn and see him striding forward to me. I'm surprised he's not looking sulkily today.

"Hey, mate!" he says, clapping me on the back. I stare at him curiously as we walk together. "Great day, isn't it?"

You'll know that Blaise Zabini is up to something when he starts making small talk.

"Is it?" I raise and eyebrow at him.

He turns to me with a smile. "Of course! The Ball is tomorrow and Ginny's current date for me proved to be tolerable. On top of that, the Veelas are coming tonight, so it's a great day all in all."

It's true, after weeks of planning, the Halloween Ball is finally tomorrow. The visitors are coming tonight so Ginny and I have been very busy, what with the planning, the overseeing, my NEWT exams, the stress of the upcoming battle, and the building wall between us.

Though I hate to admit it, things with Ginny are rather shaky. After that awkward night in her room's door, we've been uncomfortable with each other. She'll blush, not look at my eyes, and though we're still talking, I think she'd rather be somewhere than spend time in my company.

There are no more midnight talks and snacks; certainly no more midnight kisses. We talk about the Ball plans and with a few strained small talks, that's about it. Her Hogsmeade weekend was spent with River Atkins, Luna, Colin Creevey and some other Gryffindors. And no, she didn't even tell me they were spending that time together. I came to the students' line to walk with her but she flustered and murmured that she had planned to spend the day with her stupid boyfriend. I had stood there, watching her walk over to Atkins and hook her arm to him.

Rest assured, I did not spend the day at Hogwarts.

And needless to say, our friendship is slowly melting in front of my eyes.

I am getting more and more frustrated every day. I badly want to talk to her, but she evades me at every chance. I do not want to push her to talk to me when she's not ready, so I had not bothered to force the issue.

"How are things with the best friend?" Blaise's voice creeps in to my mind.

I shrug. "I don't know if I still have one."

Blaise shakes his head. "Draco, this is just a temporary thing. Soon she'll tire of Atkins and she'll be back to you again."

He has no idea what had happened between me and Ginny. Nobody knows. Ginny and I, though we did not talk about it, didn't tell anyone.

I think about what Blaise had said. Ginny's longest relationship was for two weeks. This one with Atkins is pushing three.

I try to tramp down that not-so-nice combined feelings of jealousy and dread, and I forced down the lump that was threatening to climb up my throat. When I turn to face Blaise again, I am a picture of a calm, and not jealous, friend.

But deep inside, my heart is racing and my mind is whirling with questions and possibilities. I know I'm overreacting here. Ginny's too young to be in a serious relationship. With her attitude on boys and dating, I really doubt that Atkins is the one. However, I still cannot shake this feeling of dread inside me. It feels like my heart's about to break and I'm getting choked up. I hate it.

"Don't fight it, Drake," says Blaise. "The more you tell yourself to not feel it, the more you suffer."

I stare at him, knowing full well that he knows what I'm going through. But my pride insisted that I don't show any sign of weakness whatsoever.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I say to him and continue to walk down the hall.

I hear Blaise sigh. "You'll tire of being that way soon, Draco."

"What way?"

"Pretending that you're not hurt," he answers.

I do not answer him. Instead, I look ahead and walk faster. Only to stop and stare.

I hear Blaise whistle.

"Now that is some nice work of art," he says.

In front of us is a girl, with flowing light blonde hair, pink lips and turquoise eyes. Unmistakeably a Veela.


	6. The Question

**Disclaimer: **J.K. Rowling owns the whole Harry Potter world. I just like to put them in other strange situations such as the one you're about to read.

**A/N:** Well, this isn't acceptable I know. I've been busy, and yes, I am so very sorry for the super late update. Bad Tisha! I'd give my reason why, but then I guess no one really wants to hear it. I'd be lucky if someone still reads this anyway. I'm working on the next chapter now. So I'm promising that you won't have to wait for a half year to go by before I update. Sorry again. Do forgive me. I also apologize for the grammar mistakes.

* * *

Chapter 6 – The Question

I was in the library when I heard about the guests. The Head Boy and Girl from Beauxbatons had come a bit earlier than the rest of their schoolmates, the note from Dumbledore says. Though a little miffed that they didn't inform us days earlier, I stand up from my seat.

"You're going to welcome them?" River asks.

I nod. "I'll see you later," I say. "Bye."

I walk away, not waiting for him to answer me. He gets whiny when I go without giving him a goodbye kiss first. Well, it's not like I've been giving him kisses often. As it is, we've only kissed a couple of times. One was when I agreed to date him again, and that was a brief peck on the lips. The second time was when I was hanging out with him and Luna in their common room. Luna went to get something in her dorm and River took the advantage. No one was paying attention anyway. Since we were in the Ravenclaws' Common Room, people were buried behind their books and parchments. He reached out and kissed me fully on the lips, trying to elicit a response. But I couldn't. I didn't want to. So pushed him away gently, saying that there were other people and didn't think it was appropriate.

To tell you the truth, I don't really like River.

I find myself nearing the stairs that leads to Dumbledore's office where the guests were at. I'm sure Draco is in there already and the thought makes me a bit uneasy. Which I find silly, because this is Draco that we're talking about. Only Draco.

And there lies my problem.

As I climb the steps towards Dumbledore's office, I try not to think about the way Draco and I have become lately. Our relationship was strained, to the point that making conversation with him was hard; being around him was harder. It's not because I didn't want to. It's because I'm having a hard time being near him. Because when he's near, all I can think of was our kiss, and several more unwanted thoughts about me and him. And I'm terribly afraid of him finding out. With his perfect read on me, and the fact that I easily blush, that would have been a piece of cake.

I become aware that I was nearing the gargoyle that guards Dumbledore's office's entrance, so I breathe deeply and steadied myself. Only when I was sure that the thoughts were at the back of my mind, did I say the password.

* * *

The instant I see Draco, my mind starts coming up with thoughts. Thoughts that shouldn't be associated with Draco. Or more specifically, thoughts that shouldn't include me and Draco together. I swallow and push them back.

"Hello, Ms. Weasley," Dumbledore greets me, his eyes twinkling as always. For a while, I think that he knew about my thoughts, but decides that it really doesn't matter. He knows everything, anyway. "Have a seat, please."

I take a seat beside Draco, carefully so as not to touch him in anyway.

"Hey, Gin," he greets me.

"Hey, Drake."

He shifts uncomfortably in his seat. I stare at my knees silently.

Dumbledore clears his throat and both of us look at him.

"Miss Weasley, I'd like you to meet Monsieur Etienne LaRue, Head Boy of Beauxbatons," Dumbledore gestures with his hand and my eyes follow it.

And I find myself staring at a pair of mesmerizing blue eyes.

"Nice meeting you, Mademoiselle Weasley," he greets me, his accent so thick the words came out as: "Nayz meeteengk you, Mamzel Vlizlee."

I momentarily thought of Fleur, my sister-in-law.

I nod my greeting. "Nice to meet you too, Monsiuer LaRue."

He laughs, and it was such a sweet sound actually. "Do call me Etienne."

I duck my head, blushing furiously at the attention he was giving me. I hear Draco snort beside me. "Ginny, then. Call me Ginny."

"And Mademoiselle Elise Devaux, whom I believe you already know?" the Headmaster continues.

I manage to tear my eyes from Etienne, and look at the witch next to him.

And a familiar feeling of irritability creeps all over me.

"Ginevra!" She jumps from her seat, or rather, leaps gracefully, and kisses the air near my cheeks. I can smell her shampoo, and I begin to get conscious of how I look. Being near a Veela does that to a person.

"Hi Elise," I manage to whisper a greeting back to her. "It's been a while."

"Yes! I am most glad to see you and Draco again!" She says, smiling at me and then at Draco. I instantly wanted to scratch out her eyes. "They say you are head girl now, yes?"

"Oh, uh. Yeah," I answer. "That'll be me." I raise my hands and wave them in a mock-celebratory gesture, even though I badly want to roll my eyes.

"Most wonderful! I always told Draco here that you are a real talented girl," she says, reaching out and tapping Draco on his knee. "Did I not?"

"Of course she is, Elise," I heard him answer.

Both of them are sounding like parents talking about one of their child, and to tell you the truth, I want to hex the both of them right now. Of course I'm talented, you stinking veela! Of course Draco knows that, since he and I have always been together. He doesn't need you to tell him that.

I know I'm getting all worked up right now. It's just that, I have always hated the girls who thought they knew Draco, and who acted like they were close to him. Closer to him than I am. I know it's a sick issue, but really, it's a big thing for me, knowing that I'm the only girl who's really close to him.

I mean, since he's my best friend you know?

So forgive me if I'm indeed getting worked up over this slight exchange over Madam Thin-rail here, and Draco Malfoy, who was smiling indulgently at her.

"So, uh," I ask before they start praising each other. "Why are we here, exactly?"

Dumbledore smiles, eyes twinkling and all, and then leans forward, getting all business-like.

"They want to help out with the preparations for the ball," Dumbledore says. "Despite my insistence to Madam Maxime that we had finished the preparations. I daresay my dear Olympe wanted to ensure that there are indeed no students from Durmstrang this year, before sending out her sixth and seventh years. Though I assured her that already," he smiles good-naturedly at the French students in the room.

Etienne smiles back, his face creasing handsomely. "Oh, it is not you she does not trust, Headmaster Dumbledore. She is a little paranoid these days, oui? Back at the palace, she would check every ward herself twice before going to bed."

"Well, as our dear Moody tells us every so often, 'Constant vigilance!'" Dumbledore answers. "We musn't let our guard down even once, now that Voldemort," the French students both wince at this, "has gotten more powerful." He gets quiet for a second, eyes getting darker than usual, as if relieving a bad memory. Then it brightens again and he smiles to us. "Well, it has been a long journey from your palace, to our castle. You lot have better rest!" He stands and raises his hands for us to do the same.

"My dear Head Boy and Head Girl will escort you to your designated rooms. Dinner is at 7, so you still have a few hours to freshen up before your other schoolmates start arriving," he says. "Of course you can sit on whichever house table you like. Although we have prepared an extra table for your schoolmates."

"Oh, brilliant! I wanted to catch up with you and Draco, oui?" Elise says, who stands beside me, looking graceful even while just standing there. I resist the urge to check her feet to see if she is floating, and then nod.

"Uh, sure Elise," I ineloquently answer her.

As we troop out of Dumbledore's office, I resist another urge; this time, to sigh. Elise continues to talk beside me, hooking her arm on mine, as if we've been good friends together all this time.

Boy, it's gonna be a long, long day today.

* * *

By dinner, I have almost gritted my teeth into nonexistence.

Elise and Etienne wanted to sit amongst the Gryffindors, much to the delight of my housemates. Sighs were heard from everywhere, and I swear, I will personally kick Seamus and Blaise any moment now. They have been sighing at Elise's every move: whenever she flips her hair, or eats her peas… you get the picture. Sitting beside me on my right, was Elise, who had picked up our conversation after we escorted them back to the Great Hall for dinner. She was endlessly chatting me up about things, and I try to answer with appropriate stuff so that I won't sound rude for not listening. On my right was Pansy, who surprised me by asking to sit with us tonight. At first I thought it was because of Etienne, but the way she was throwing dark looks at Elise every time Blaise talks to her got me changing my mind.

In front of me was Draco, who has this silly look on his face which I thought it was because of Elise. Upon closer inspection, I realized it was because of me. His face totally has that look of amusement, and I rather think he was amused at my patience tonight.

Beside him, in front of Elise was Etienne, who was having polite conversation with Draco. On the other side of Draco was Blaise, completely oblivious to the dagger looks Pansy had been throwing at him and Elise.

Theo and Millie were beside Etienne, facing Luna, who kept making faces beside Elise. Seamus was beside her, elbow on his mashed potato bowl, listening intently to Elise even if he wasn't part of the conversation.

"And then this big deer shows up and our picnic date was ever so ruined!" Elise finishes, throwing her hands up in the air. For effect, I would think. "Tell me, my dear Draco, did your Papa manage to get a hold of that naughty, little deer?" She asks, to which I choked, upon remembering who exactly the 'naughty, little deer' was.

Draco looks up from his meal, and says, "Sorry? What was that again?"

Elise looks at me and rolls her eyes, as if saying: "Men, they always space out on good topics."

As if their picnic date was a good topic.

Oh, yeah. I forgot to tell you. Draco and Elise used to date. They met on one of the charity balls that his Mum sponsored back when he was in fifth grade. They dated for a while, but things didn't progress from there, so to speak. Which was one of the few times that I was glad Draco had gotten rid of a girl. She was just so...chatty? And a maybe over-enthusiastic about things. I can't see myself dealing with her everyday, as she gets overly emotional about small things.

Like this picnic date she was talking of.

"I'm speaking about the picnic date we had back then," Elise is saying.

"Oh, the one where you almost fell into the lake by surprise?" Draco answers.

Beside me, I hear Pansy snort. I chance a look at her direction, and she rolls her eyes at me.

"Yes, that was the one," she beamed. "We were at this Muggle park, remember? And we were eating scones and drinking tea, when suddenly, this naughty deer comes trampling our merry tea party, and woosh! I fell into the lake beside our spot."

Draco smiles at her. "Well, I did warn you not to sit too near the edge of the lake."

"Well, yes you did, but I did not figure that a deer would come out of nowhere. It was a good thing your Papa was there," she turns to me. "Mr. Malfoy shooed the beast away," she tells me, as if I hadn't heard this a few times already. I smile politely. "Although I never did get the chance to ask why they were there, and what has become of Mr. Potter. I could have sworn I saw him with your Papa a couple of minutes before the deer arrived."

Draco and I look at each other and forgetting my earlier shyness around him, I almost laughed.

"Oh, I didn't know where Uncle James was when the deer arrived, Elise," he says in a perfectly neutral voice, although I can hear the humor behind it. "As for the deer, well, it was too fast for my father. He must have run back to the surrounding woods after Father shooed him. Although, I would think that it wasn't a deer, but a stag."

I bite my lips to keep from laughing, knowing full well where the deer/stag and Uncle James were at that moment. I remember Aunt Narcissa being terribly cross at both of them for pulling that prank on Elise, but Uncle Lucius had justified their actions by saying that he would not have a daughter-in-law who insisted on taking out his son on afternoon tea parties. No Malfoy has deserved to endure that kind of torture, and has brought it to himself to stop the madness that instant.

A few more Elise-centered stories later and dinner had come to an end. The fourth- and fifth-year prefects started ushering out the lower years while the sixth- and seventh- ones took care of the Beauxbatons students.

* * *

It was past midnight when I was able to get inside our private quarters. I plop down the sofa and stretch out, hearing my bones pop softly as I do.

"I bet you're tired," Draco's voice says. I look up at his figure, which was leaning on the wall beside the door.

I feel the butterflies coming again as I watch the light coming from the fireplace, dance on his face.

Merlin, he's so gorgeous. It really is no wonder that almost every girl in school had fallen for him.

Almost, because I certainly have not fallen for him.

I fight the urge to blush, and force myself to smile at him. "Yeah, I guess I am."

"Right," he nodded. "Goodnight then, Red. Sleep well," he answers, stepping near me and leaning down to give me the customary kiss on the cheek.

Then he starts to turn around to go to his on room, but alas! My left hand had suddenly developed a mind of its own and I find myself staring at it as it take a hold of Draco's wrist. My body starts to rise from the seat and while I was aware of this, I do nothing but marvel at the question:

_What is happening to me?_

"Gin?" He asks when he had turned around enough to look at my face. "Are you alright?"

"I..." Words seem to fail me, and I struggle for something to say. "I..."

"Yes?" He prods, stepping near me again, taking my hand with one of his own, and touching my cheek with the other.

I stare at him for a while then suddenly, I am savoring the taste and softness of Draco Malfoy's mouth with my own.

Which can be technically called kissing.

And I don't think I can deny it this time.

All thoughts banish after that, and the smack progress into a full-blown snog. Big, strong, warm hands settle themselves on my waist, pulling me closer. My own ones are threading into silver hair. Tongues are active, butterflies are active, and somewhere in the nether parts of my kissing partner's anatomy, I feel something getting ready to be active.

Sensing the 'activity', Draco steps back from me, eyes wide and lips wet, swollen, and open in shock.

"Uh..." I say, feeling the need to start talking. "Hi?"

No response. Is it possible that he might have become stone sometime in the last five seconds?

"D-Drake?" I stammer.

Nothing. His eyes seem to be glazed over and this is when I start to feel the rising panic.

"A-are you o-okay?"

After a few seconds of silence, he nods, ever so slightly that I would have missed it.

"Err... Right then," I say. Noticing that my legs are about to give out any moment, I decide to end the night. "Well, good night. And uh... Err... Right."

I turn around to leave. But after I take the first step, my arm is gripped by a hand. Said hand yanks me back and then my lips crash into a seemingly familiar pair of lips.

A few seconds tick by before it registers to me that Draco was kissing me. Kissing me as if his life depended on it.

My eyes flutter to a close, and I find myself kissing him back. Again.

_This is insanity. Madness!_

But no matter how many times I cry out those words to myself, I cannot seem to stop kissing Draco. Draco. My best friend. My best friend since forever.

And that will eternally change if this does not stop any minute soon.

With that thought in mind, I push at Draco gently. When our contact broke, I feel a sudden emptiness. My hand flies to my lips, feeling that they have become swollen already.

I force myself to look at Draco. Who was also staring at me.

"D-Drake?"

"I'm..."

His eyes, still clouded over by a flurry of emotions, continue to look into mine. I find myself wanting to look away but I can't.

What exactly is happening? I don't know how to explain anything anymore. What started as a sudden thought of being Draco's wife had become days of awkward silence and embarrassing acts to pretend that everything is ok. Not to mention,_ this_: sudden moments of kissing, further fueling the awkwardness of the whole thing.

"What's happening?" I surprise myself by putting it so bluntly.

The grey eyes staring at me register another flurry of emotions, including something that I have never seen in Draco for quite sometime: panic. It wasn't the brief flitting of emotion, nor did he try to cover it up by something else. It is there; just there. For me to see and ponder on.

Why is he acting this way? More importantly, why am _I_ acting this way?

I have a boyfriend. And this is my best friend.

_But you've kissed your best friend more than your boyfriend_, says a voice inside my head. _And far more passionately, too, in my opinion._

_Shut up!_

_You like him. You like him very much, why else would you grab him twice and kiss him so powerfully? And following that train of thought, why else would he grab you and kiss you like his life depended on it?_

_Because..._

_Because he likes you too, doofus!_

_He likes me?_

_Yes! Ask him!_

And before I stop myself, the words were out of my mouth.

"Do you like me?"

* * *

A/N: Sorry.


End file.
